A Clear Renewal
by Miss Dragonish
Summary: My story should've stopped with my death, but I got myself reborn in my best friend's favorite show. My name is Claire Forbes, and I wasn't supposed to be there. But I will be damned if I don't do everything in my power to protect my family. OC-Insert as Caroline's fraternal twin sister.
1. Chapter 1: The Story of How I Died

_**Disclaimer**: I own nothing besides my OC and the idea of this story. Everything related to The Vampire Diaries (names, places…) is the property of L.J. Smith and The CW._

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Story of How I Died.**

.

.

Like everyone else, I was born after my mother met my father. And, like many others, they didn't want me. I guess, because when I was less than one week old, I was dropped in front of a catholic orphanage in the center of Seattle.

I _hated_ it. The city, orphanage, pastor, nuns, kids. I hated it all. I hated it for eighteen years. And then, I left.

I always worked hard at school, in the hope to get a scholarship in a college as far from Seattle as possible. I ended up signing for the North Carolina University of Charlotte.

That's where I met my roommate, Susan '_but call me Ann really, my grandma Susan was a bitch'_ Andrews. She was my first friend and the best of them all. We shared a Harry Potter obsession and a hatred for coffee.

Other than that, we were very different. Like, _opposites_ different. She was the sun. I was the moon. She was beautiful, kind, smart, generous…

And she was crazy. God, she makes me do some things...

Like walking through a cemetery in the middle of the night.

"_Come on, don't you feel like the Winchester brothers? You're the tallest so, of course, you're Sam. I'm the hottest, so I'll be Dean."_ She had said, the first time she made me do it. Because there was more than one time. _Of course_.

When, four years after our meeting, I got in her car, I hadn't thought it would be the last time I saw her alive.

I would have done something, stop us before we got into that car. Maybe I would have taken the wheel in her place. For sure, I wouldn't have let her touch the radio that much. Or something, _anything_.

But we got in that car, and she took the wheel. I was searching for something to eat in the glove box, laughing as Ann was changing the music every two seconds. I didn't see the truck coming, neither did she.

For one whole minute, my world was twirling with light and shattered glass and red- no, blood, it was blood.

And then, the twirling stopped. But not the blood and the pain. And the noise. God, the noise. I wanted to cry and to scream, but my eye sight was blurred and my voice wasn't responding. Or maybe I screamed, I don't know. I lost consciousness too, maybe.

When I was able to think straight again, Ann was the only thing I could think of. The car was lying on its side, my side was on the floor so Ann was up. When I turned my eyes and saw her, I knew she was dead. It doesn't mean I believed it. I screamed her name, I screamed until I lost my breath, untangling my seatbelt in the process and crawled over to her body.

At the time, a voice in my head reminded me to not move a victim's body after a trauma. I was cautious to not move Ann too much. The voice added that _I_ was a victim experiencing a trauma, too. I didn't listen, this time.

I lost consciousness after I took her wrist, and didn't find a pulse.

When I woke up, I was on a stretcher surrounded by two paramedics. And there was another stretcher, but the paramedics there were closing a big, black bag. I screamed Ann's name, fighting against the paramedic who tried to make me breathe into a mask. The other man grabbed my hands while the first one finally put the mask on my face, whispering that he was sorry.

This is the story of how I died.

I don't know much after that. I don't know when or where I died, exactly. That could have been in the ambulance, or the hospital, anywhere after I realized that Ann was dead.

But unlike Ann, I didn't get to stay dead.

Well, _I _was dead, but now _I _was alive. That didn't make any sense, I know.

For a long time, nothing made sense to me, too. I thought that I was in a hospital, wavering between unconsciousness and a short time of blurry consciousness. And, well, in a way, I was right.

I finally got to stay conscious for long periods. The world wasn't as blurry anymore and I finally was able to see my hand again. My tiny, _tiny_ hand.

It took me an embarrassing amount of time to understand what was happening, and when I did, I cried. _Hard_. Because, yeah. I hated my first time as a baby, why would I like the second?

In hindsight, I now know that I was wrong. My second childhood was way better than the first.

I had a _family_.

A mother, a father, and a _twin sister._

With time, I finally mourned my previous life, decided to live this life fully without thinking too much about the first one. Even if I couldn't bring myself to erase Ann from my memories, she will always have a place in my heart.

My life was turned upside down again when I was eight years old, and mom took us, me and my sister, in the woods by our Lake Cabin to teach us how to use a bicycle without the training wheels.

Because I had seen that before.

I had already seen Liz Forbes let go of Caroline Forbes bicycle with a proud smile.

On a screen.

While _she was_ _dying_.

* * *

**A/N: Hello, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, I'm sorry if there are any errors, English is not my first language but I'm in search of a beta.**

**This is the SI-OC longfic I plan to write for a long time ago, I have pretty much all the big events for the first season planned out and I just have to write them down.**

**I don't have the pairings yet (even if, knowing me, there is a 99% chance for Klaroline). I'm open to the suggestion, but I'm don't guarantee for it to happen.**

**I'm rewatching the show as I write this story, but I will not make a 1 chapter-1 episode sort of story, some events will pass without being written because it's an internal pov and Claire is not all-knowing.**

**Anyway, I really hope you loved it, don't hesitate to tell me what you thought!**

**_XxxX Miss Dragonish._**

**_Edit 03/14/20: Beta'ed by WinchesterGurl1967. Thank You, you're a lifesaver!_**


	2. Chapter 2: Claire Forbes

_**A/N: I post the second chapter too because the first is very short. BTW, it's not important to the story but I kind of picture Claire like Kathryn Newton (Claire Novak in Supernatural), it's her in the cover of the story.**_

* * *

**Chapter 2: Claire Forbes.**

.

.

**_2000 _**

I stared at the blank page of my notebook, ready to fill it with as much information as I have.

After almost a week of psychological battle with myself, I finally reached the dooming conclusion that, yes, I was reborn in Ann's favorite show. As Claire Forbes, Caroline Forbes' fraternal twin sister. In the middle of a world probably _-and I would stick to that little hope until I was proven wrong-_ filled with vampires. And werewolves, witches, doppelgängers, and other lovely creatures.

And my priority number one was to protect my family. Hence the notebook. I have to write down everything I could remember from the show, in the hope to prevent it.

Okay... Let's start by the season one. Or what I can remember at least, this is the one I have fewer memories about. Ann was more Originals-Family-oriented in her fangirling. She was obsessed with those shows. One time, she made us go all the way to New Orleans because she wanted to watch the first episode of the new season of '_The Originals'_ there. Yes, _that much_.

I have to be honest now, I regret listening to her rambling with only half of my attention…

* * *

**#1. Damon tries to open a tomb under some church to release Katherine, but she is not in there, never has been.**

"_Wait. Did this guy just hypnotize that poor girl into being his sex toy/girlfriend just to get back that ugly necklace?" I ask, my concentration on the screen when it should have been on the books in front of me._

_Ann turned on the couch to face me, happy that I finally manifest some interest in her TV show. A show that she was watching for the millionth time, now._

"_This is called compulsion, actually. And, yes, Damon is still a dick right now. The poor guy thinks that Katherine —the woman he loves— is trapped in a tomb under some ruins, a church I think, or something. Anyway, he needs that amulet to free her. But..." Ann moves her hand excitedly, and I smile fondly in front of her energy. "Because she is Katerina Petrova, of course, she's not in there. Katherine is a bitch. But, like, not Grandma Susan kind of bitch, more like Aunt Sally kind of bitch: you kind of hate her but, without her, you know that the family dinner will be way duller. Less Drama. And, with Katherine, the 'D' in drama is gigantic'."_

**#2. Katherine turning Caroline after her car accident, just before some high school carnival. The accident was probably caused by Tyler Lockwood.**

"_Wait, I didn't even realize that she was a vampire. Wasn't she was compelled by Damon? Vampires can compel other vampires?" I ask, curiously, as Caroline launches herself at a guy's throat with her teeth out._

"_Nah, they can't... Well, an Original can, but that's not the subject. Caroline just turned. She had a car crash when Tyler was affected by Jonathan Gilbert's anti-vampire device. Elena asked Damon to give her his blood because she wasn't going to make it. And Katherine killed her when she still had the blood in her system." She looked thoughtful, her eyes scanning the screen as Bonnie tried to set her blonde friend on fire. "But I think that she is great as a vampire. That suits her, and she seems happier since her turning."_

**#3. Mikael Mikaelson's tomb: Pickett Mausoleum, Charlotte, North Carolina.**

"_Remind me, again, why we're scouting a cemetery at midnight?" I did nothing to hide the exasperated fondness in my voice._

_Her grin just widened, and she curled her arm around mine, the other one extending in front of her with her flashlight. "Come on, don't you feel like the Winchester brothers? You're the tallest so, of course, you're Sam. I'm the hottest, I'll be Dean."_

"_Don't bring another one of your bloody TV shows in here. Seriously Ann, even if you want to search a cemetery for God knows what, why in the middle of the night?"_

"_Well. You don't see the Winchesters or Buffy Summers in a cemetery in the middle of the day!"_

"_Ann, for one: you have to understand that they are fucking fictional characters. And two: one is hunting vampires and the others dig graves to burn the remains of dead people. That's pretty illegal and probably why they go at night."_

"_Oh... Yeah, you made a point there. But I like the vibe anyway. Keep your eyes open girl!"_

"_I don't even remember what I'm looking for... Or why we're looking for it."_

"_We're looking for Mikael's tomb! Remember what I told you about yesterday? In the show, he is desiccated and hidden in the Pickett Mausoleum, in a cemetery of Charlotte, NC. We're in Charlotte, let see if we can find a Pickett Mausoleum!"_

"_That was probably just some decors. I don't think they used a Mausoleum from a real Pickett family. Wait..." I stared at her with narrowed eyes. "You didn't choose your college only to be in Charlotte, did you?"_

_She looked at me with big, innocents brown eyes. "What? No, of course not, you know me..." I've known her for less than six months now, but I also know that she was more than capable of it. I quirked an eyebrow._

_She just turned her attention toward the tombs and mausoleums, mumbling. "It was that or Duke, but Isobel was a bitch." She seemed to think for a second before adding, "And Virginia was a no-go, It's way too boring."_

**#4. The Curse. The Moonstone. Jenna's death. Doppelgänger sacrifice. John's death.**

_I was half-lying across an armchair in the living room while Ann and Frank, her boyfriend, were cuddled on the couch. Ann going through Netflix to choose what we're watching tonight._

"_You know what? I'm feeling like watching Klaus breaking his curse. He and Elijah are so hot." Ann suddenly says as she finally chooses._

"_Shouldn't you be more preoccupied with your girlfriend, Frank?" I ask, teasingly._

"_Naah, she loves me." He kissed her and she responded almost instantly._

"_Of course I do, honey. But the Mikaelson's are hot, there's no denying that." She then turns toward me, squeezing her eyes. "You remember everything you have to know before we watch that, don't you?"_

"_Yeah, yeah, no worries here. Moonstone, Lockwood, werewolves, doppelgängers and all that."_

_She looks at me for one more second, almost menacingly. "Good."_

**#5. Augustine. Enzo. Whitmore.**

"_My poor baby! Look at what they are doing to my baby !" I looked at the screen, trying to ignore Ann's excessive movements._

_My eyes widened when I saw a dark-haired man chained at a medical table while another one was... I don't really know what he was doing... Torture? Surgery? "What's that shit? Who's that guy ?"_

"_It's Enzo, my new baby. He's held prisoner for seventy years or so —almost since he turned into a vampire— by a fucking secret organization, Augustine. They hide their labs in the university Elena goes to, Whitmore." She moved to the left on the couch to let me sit. "Real bitch those ones, let me tell you."_

**#6. Silas is very bad. The Cure (one dose only).**

"_God, she is such a bitch!" Was the first thing I heard when I entered our apartment with my arms full of groceries. "How dare she..." She pauses mid-sentence when she saw me, standing to help me._

"_Go ahead, Ann, talk as much as you want," I said, an indulgent smile on my lips, ready to listen to her rant about how much of a bitch Elena was. That was something of an occurrence since she and her brother killed Kol. Ann cried a lot when Kol died._

"_But he told her! Kol told her all about Silas, one hell of a bitch that guy, but did she listen?" She threw her hands over her head, my eyes glued to the flour bag in them. "No, she didn't! And now, Kol is dead. And Jeremy was dead, but Bonnie died to bring him back. Meaning she is dead! And that bitch dares to give... God, she forced the cure in Katherine's throat!"_

_I frowned, not understanding. "But I thought she wanted to take the cure... Isn't that what it's all about?"_

"_My point!" She nodded at my words. "All that whining when she knew there was only one dose, but she doesn't even take it! And now Silas is here, that was just a freaking waste of time! When I think that Kol is dead for **that**!"_

**#7. Wickery Bridge made of White Oak. The sign. The bloodline bonds.**

"_Arrggh!" I heard Ann scream from her room and rush to her room, worried. She looks up from her screen when I push her door open. "Oh… I'm sorry, I worried you? It's just TVD's most recent episode…"_

"_Not a problem." I look at her eyes, red and watering. She was way too invested in those shows. "Why don't you tell me what brings you to such a state of misery?"_

"_Elena!" She spits almost instantly. "They wanted to protect her, **again**, and they tried to kill Klaus by killing Finn because they're all linked. You know about Wickery Bridge? It's made of White Oak —the only thing that can kill an Original, you know— and Rebekah burned it, but she forgot the sign! And Damon found it, and they used it. And, now, Finn is **dead**! He just found Sage, the love of his life, and they killed him! But they weren't linked anymore, so Finn is the only one who died. And you know what ?!" She looked at me with big eyes, her hands moving in front of her. "They are fucking lucky about that! Because it seems that when an Original died, so did his —or her— bloodline. Meaning all the fucking vampires they created. And the Salvatore's don't know who they're from!" She then turned to look at her laptop's screen, paused on an image of Elena, and stuck out her tongue at her. "Take that, Liar!"_

**#8. Vervain against vampires. Don't invite anyone in your house verbally.**

"_She's so wrong. She thinks that keeping someone in the dark will protect them but, well look at the fact..."_

"_Who thinks that?" I ask, putting back the box of herbal tea I was reading in its place._

"_Elena." She says, in an _'**_it's obvious!' _**_manners, showing me the box of vervain tea she was holding. She didn't say to Jenna vampires were real, and could compel you if you didn't eat or wear vervain. Guess who was compelled by Katherine to stab herself?"_

"_Huh, Jenna?" I answer-ask, not sure she wanted an answer._

"_Ding-ding! We have a winner! And that doesn't convince her to talk! You know how a vampire can't come in if you don't tell them verbally?" I nod, looking between one apple-cinnamon tea and one strawberry-rhubarb. "Well, Jenna doesn't! And guess who invites an Original vampire in? One who could have killed her without even scrambling his suit?"_

"_Jenna," I answer, putting both tea's boxes in my cart, because why not._

"_Bingo! I mean… Come on, she, like, literally **killed**_ _Jenna by keeping her in the dark and, now, she wants to do it again with Jeremy !"_

**_Her_** **death. Cancer.**

"_I thought they couldn't make me cry more than when Alaric chose death back in season three but maaaan." Ann was clenching her mug of hot chocolate against her chest. "Liz's death was so saaad. Cancer! Could you imagine that? After all she- they had gotten through in this bloody supernatural town, she died from the most ordinary thing possible. That's... That's oddly suited..."_

I stared at the page as the memories of Ann talking about Liz's -_my mother's_\- death fade-away. It took me some time to finally close the notebook, I was not going to remember anything else right now, and that's when I noticed that I was crying.

My tiny-eight-years-old hands grabbed the notebook with force, almost hurting myself. I couldn't let my family be hurt. I needed to protect them.

That day, the summer of my eighth year as Claire Forbes, I swore to protect my family. As much as I can against supernatural beings or mundane disease.

* * *

**_2008._**

"You can come with me, you know." I look at Caroline with concern. "Or I can postpone the departure a little."

She looks at me from above the suitcase she was inspecting on my bed. "What?!" She sighs when she noticed my concern. "You're not my mother, Claire, you're my twin sister."

"Older twin sister." I correct, almost mechanically, with a little laugh.

She just rolled her eyes. "This is not your fault if our parents had announced their divorce the day before your trip." She grabbed one of the tops in my closet with a little too much force. "The trip that you've been organizing for two years now. You don't have to sacrifice yourself for me, Claire. And I'm not going to miss the Tree Lighting Ceremony, Elena and Bonnie would kill me."

I laughed at her antics, but I knew she was only putting a facade. I would have canceled my trip if I didn't know how important it was for the future well-being of my loved ones. I stared at Caroline until she turned her attention to me. "I will be back before Christmas, I promise, but I want you to call me every day. And if you need me to come back, or if anything happens. Understood?"

"I promise." She hugged me and I returned it with force.

* * *

The next day, it took me a little over five hours to reach my destination. I drove through the city, looking around my surroundings with nostalgia. I hadn't been in Charlotte for over sixteen years.

Not much longer, I was pulling my car in the motel's parking and got out to rent a room. Twenty minutes later, I entered my room with my suitcase and my sports bag.

I was tired of the road but I knew I won't be able to sleep now. I was buzzing from impatience. This is it. I was in Charlotte. I'll finally be able to make something for my family security.

Closing the door, I put my stuff on the bed and opened my bag first, quickly pulling out the electrical wood saw I stole from my dad's tools. He wouldn't be missing it, he never uses it. Then, I opened my suitcase, looking at the piece of wood I had put there hastily after I had stolen it.

The Wickery Bridge sign.

* * *

I was in town for six days now and had visited twenty-eight cemeteries before I finally found it.

The Pickett Mausoleum.

I found it that morning because I'm not as dumb as Ann and I'll not be scouting cemeteries at night if I don't have to.

Unfortunately, for what I have in mind, I have to scout a cemetery at night. This is why I'm here now, at 10 pm, in front of the Pickett Mausoleum armed with a sports bag full of tools and ready to do something slightly illegal. And macabre, too.

Looking around me one last time, I stepped into the creepy place. Like in my blurred memory of the show, there was only one big tomb in the middle of the mausoleum. The big stone seemed heavy, I'll have so much work. Sighing, I left my bag on the floor and opened it to take out my crowbar. Let's begin.

Honestly, that took me so much more time than I liked, but I finally managed to completely open the tomb by 2 am.

Mikael was... creepy. I feel like it's the only word in my mouth today, but I don't see any other ones to describe it. Seeing him here, gray and chained, it was weird. That made me realize, **_really_** realize, that I wasn't crazy. Vampires _were_ real. I **_was_** in '_The Vampire Diaries'_, Ann's favorite TV show.

I was maybe going to regret that, I don't know. I was more than probably seriously fucking the timeline here, changing some big events. But I couldn't bring myself to care.

Mikael was the only thing that Niklaus Mikaelson fears, along with his siblings leaving him. And if I wanted to be on his good side, I don't see anything better other than killing his father to do that.

I screamed suddenly when he opened his eyes. "Okay, no! This, this is creepy! Like _fucking_ creepy! You don't open your eyes when you look like you're dead !" His -**_creepy!_**\- eyes moved to look at me. "Oh, God. What I'm even doing..."

I kneel to search through my bag and pull out my stake. My White Oak stake. Hiding it in my jacket, I stand beside the tomb again.

"Euh... Hi, Mr. Mikaelson." His eyes widened a little, and he looked at me curiously. "I... was wondering, would you mind telling me where you have hidden your White Oak stake ?" His eyes narrowed and my heart missed a beat at the anger in his gaze. "Yeah. I suspected as much. No big deal, I was asking for a friend, you know."

I took out my stake and my smartphone _(I can't wait until the phones were more developed, really.)_

"Look, your children will probably not believe me if I don't give them proof of your death. Nothing personal. Well... you're pretty fucked as a father. I don't love people who try to kill their kids for a millennium. Like, literally." I took a picture first, before switching to video and pressing the button to record. "So, this is White Oak." I put my stake in front of the camera and Mikael's eyesight. I could see disbelief and a little panic fill his eyes. "And you're an Original so... you know what I mean. So... bye, I guess."

Paying attention to always keep Mikael in the video, I placed my stake between the chains on Mikael's chest, above his heart. "Damn. That's so fucking **_creepy_**." I pushed.

Mikael's eyes lit up with panic before his body literally lit up with fire.

"Oh, God."

I did it.

For the best or the worst, it was too late to back off now.

* * *

**_Edit 03/15/20: Beta'ed_****_ by WinchesterGurl1967. Thank You, again, you save me from all those errors!_**


	3. Chapter 3: Let's plot, okay?

_**A/N: Thanks to **_**_WinchesterGurl1967,_**_** who beta'ed this chapter in no time, I'm able to post it today! You're amazing, thank you! **_

_**I hope you will love it! **_

* * *

**Chapter 3: Let's plot, okay?**

.

.

The next day found me, exhausted, walking through Duke University Department of Anthropology. I was woken up at the beginning of the afternoon by a call from Vanessa Monroe asking me if I could stop by. The need to look at Isobel's research as soon as possible, and to be back at Mystic Falls by tomorrow, helped in my decision to accept.

"Hi, I'm looking for Vanessa Monroe please?" The brown-haired woman behind the desk looked up at me curiously before recognition crossed her eyes.

"You must be Ann Andrews?" Honestly, when I had to imagine a fake name, that was the first thing that I thought of. I didn't really know if Isobel still had contacts here, and the only thing I really remember about Isobel is that she works with Katherine. The last thing I want is for Katherine to know that a Forbes is putting her nose in her business.

"I'm Vanessa, nice to meet you." She stands and walks around the desk, walking toward a door at the end of the corridor. She mentioned for me to follow her with a wave of her hand. "I talked with the professor in charge of the Department and, he's okay with you looking into Pr. Flemming's research and taking copies with you." She stressed the word 'copy' with little subtlety. "As long as her husband wasn't against it. I called Mr. Saltzman and he doesn't have a problem with it. You are free to look into her notes here, and I have made all the copies you need. They're in this box." She finishes her sentence by grabbing a flash disk from the desk of what I assumed being Isobel's office.

"Thank you," I take it and slip it in my pocket. "My paper is about the mystical creatures and their impact on history and I was wondering if there is anything else about it here..."

"You can look around if you want, but I think that everything is on the flash disk."

"Again, thank you, you saved my semester."

Vanessa just laughs before heading back to her desk. "I'll leave you to it, but if you need anything just call."

Once she was out of view, I reached quickly the bookshelves, looking for the only thing that I knew here from my previous life. I found the black book in one of the middle shelves, the word 'Petrova' written in gold on the edge.

Grabbing the thick plastic folder from my bag, I put the book in it, closed it and put it back in my bag. I know, stealing is bad but it's not like Isobel will miss it. Anyway, Damon will take it in one year or two. I know because Ann was constantly whining about it. For her, Damon didn't use it correctly. I'm sure it would be of better use with me.

Being already there, I looked at the papers on the desk for another twenty minutes or so, before heading out. Vanessa was on the phone and just waved her hand at me.

I smiled when I pulled my car out of its parking spot, the sooner I was in Mystic Falls, the better.

* * *

"Okay Claire, spill the beans." I looked curiously at Caroline. It was now three days since Christmas and we were at the Lake Cabin for two or three days, before New Year's Eve, just her and me. It was my idea. Mostly because I wanted Caroline far from the conflicts at home. And because I wanted to talk to her privately.

"What do you mean, Care?" She quirks an eyebrow at me, her eyes clearly questioning if I think she was stupid.

"I know you, Claire. I believe you when you say that we're here to take some distance with Mom and Dad, but… It's not just that, it is? You brought me a coffee at the Grill before we left. You hate coffee, and everything about it."

"That thing is disgusting…" I said, defensively.

"And you brought me coffee only when you want to tell me something but you fear to do it." She continues as if I hadn't said anything. "Like when you lost my favorite earrings, or when you broke.."

"Yeah, okay, I get it. You know me…" I sigh and play with my spoon in my pot of ice cream. "It's true, I want to talk to you about something…" My eyes were solely focused on my cream, I was too afraid to look at her in the eyes. "There's something I have hidden from you my whole life and…" I cut myself, not knowing how to continue.

"I know." Caroline finally said, making me look at her with wide eyes. "Obviously, I don't know what, I'm not psychic, but I always knew there was something you didn't tell me. I told you, I know you, Claire." She then smiled. "I'm not mad at you if it's what you're afraid of. At first, I was worried but, I knew you would tell me when you're ready. If you're not, don't force yourself, I can wait."

I smiled at her, she was my twin sister, I know she would love me, no matter what. "No, I need to tell you." There is so much to tell, I don't even know how to begin. "I… remember who I was before Claire Forbes."

She blinks, taken aback by my words, but I continue before she could open her mouth, my eyes back on my ice cream. "I was an orphan raised in an orphanage at Seattle. I never had a real childhood, in fact, my life was boring until I left for college at Charlotte, in North Carolina. That's where I met Ann, she was my first and best friend. I died in a car crash with her four years later."

"Oh my God, Claire!" Caroline whispers before crossing the distance between us to hug me. "I'm so sorry…"

"It's not the worst part…" I said, my head pressed against her shoulder.

Disbelief was manifest in her voice when she talked. "What can possibly be worse than you remembering how you _died_?!"

I break the hug and move back on the couch, distancing myself a little. "My best friend, Ann, she used to watch a lot of TV shows. There was one, her favorite, named _'The Vampire Diaries'_ and…" I breathe in to calm myself and look into my curious sister's eyes. "You were a character in there."

She didn't react, looking at me with a frown. "What?"

"The show, you were in the show!" I finally crack, stood up and began to pace in the middle of the living room. "I don't know a lot about it, I just watched some episodes with Ann and listened to her rambling but… It was about Elena, who was in love with two brothers, the Salvatore's. The brothers were vampires, and they find out that Elena was meant to be sacrificed in a ritual and the shit hit the fan pretty quickly. You and mom, you were characters in there, there was Bonnie too. And Matt, Tyler, his mom. But… I wasn't. I wasn't supposed to exist, this world was supposed to be fictional! But I am, and I do things that will change the future but, what if I'm wrong? What if my meddling leads to the death of someone who was supposed to live? What if…"

I was brutally stopped in my rambling by a sharp pain in my cheek. "You… Did you slap me?" I look at Caroline with astonishment, my hand on my harmed cheek.

"Yes, because you're losing it." She said, not sorry at all. "Take it slow, okay? What do you mean TV show's characters?"

"You don't think I'm bat shit crazy or a liar," I state blandly.

"I don't think you're bat shit crazy, Claire. And I don't think you're _lying_. But you have to admit, this is hard to believe… I mean… Vampires? Seriously? You really think that could be real?" She got back by the couch and picked up the pot of ice cream I let down with my existential crisis. "Are you even sure the show is accurate? I'm not telling you're crazy but, maybe you made it up as a child or something? I mean, Elena is dating Matt and he doesn't have a brother, just Vicki. And I would have known if Matt was a vampire." She added the last part as a joke, I think she tries to calm me down, but I'm way too panicked for that.

"I had thought of that too. It's why I never told you before today. My trip, last week, it was for that." I pull out my phone and search for the picture of the desiccated body of Mikael. "Ann said that one of the villains, Mikael, spent some years trapped in a cemetery at Charlotte before the beginning of the show. I found him." I gave her the phone.

"Oh my…" She clapped her hand on her mouth, creeped out by his eyes open and weirdly alive on his face gray and dead. "What is… that?"

"Its Mikael. A vampire, one of the first actually. A very bad guy, and worse father. I killed him." I took the phone from her hands, she doesn't resist. "Here is the video, that should at least prove the existence of vampires. I think."

She watched the video three times before putting the phone on the low table. "Oh fuck." She stared into space for a whole minute before standing up, grabbing the ice cream and made her way to the open kitchen.

I watched her as she put the pot in the freezer and the spoon in the sink. Then she started to search into the closet under the sink, and come back to the living room with an old dishcloth. "Care… What are you doing?"

"This is obvious, Claire. I need to clean up the ice cream, Dad will kill you if we ruin his flooring."

I spend the five next minutes watching in incredulity as Caroline cleaned up all trace of ice cream in the room.

"How much of a mess will our life be in the future?" She finally said, wiping the table with a dishcloth.

"I don't know," I said, letting myself fall on the couch. "My memories about it is spare, everything I know is written in a notebook, and I found diaries of some of our ancestors who knew about vampires in Dad's room this morning…"

"Wait," she cut me off, again. "Dad knows?" She looked at me with something I didn't understand in her eyes.

"About all the reincarnated-in-a-TV-show shit? No, of course not, you're the only one who knows and I hope to keep it that way. But he knows about the supernatural creatures shit. And Mom too. At least, she knew in the show."

"_Creatures_? There is more than only vampires?"

"Oh yes, you don't even know… The Lockwood's are descendants of werewolves, meaning that as soon as they kill someone, purposefully or by accident, they will change in a wolf every full moon."

"Excuse me… What?" She left her dishcloth on the table and sat across from me on the couch, turning her entire body to face me. I turned too, sitting on one of my legs.

"Yes, and Bonnie? Turns out her Grams isn't as crazy as she thinks. She's a witch, like magic and stuff. No Harry Potter wand and broomstick, but still."

"And Elena? You said something about some ritual earlier?"

"Yeah, she is the mortal copy of some chick who lived two thousand years ago and did bitchy stuff." I rolled my eyes at my sister's eyes shining with curiosity. "There was that guy, he was dating a powerful witch, okay? He told her how he wanted to spend eternity with her and all that, and pushed her to create an elixir for that and they planned to drink it at their wedding."

"This is so romantic!" Caroline's eyes drifted into space, probably thinking about how she would love to find a hot guy who would make the same thing to her. I smile, happy to see her act normally again.

"Yes, but no. Turns out the guy was cheating on her with her maid and probably friend the whole time. They stole the elixir and left town with it."

"What?! Oh, the…" She searched for a word but nothing seemed to come, finally, she pouted. "Poor witch."

"Indeed, but don't worry too much. She found them and got her revenge. They're both alive, but both are eternally separated. But, since they can't die, Nature needn't someone to die in their place, so she created their doppelgangers. Elena is one, and I know the other one is her first boyfriend but I can't remember which brother it is."

"Elena will date brothers? Are they hot?" I look at her with amusement but still nod. "Damn. Lucky girl."

I laugh at her expression, "don't worry too much, the guy Ann shipped you with is hot too."

"Really?! Hot how? Who is it?"

"Well, hot _hot._ And, to be honest, it was kinda the villain. Sort of."

"Seriously? Wait, come to think of it, I'm not surprised. I always have a thing for bad boys." she laughed and laid down on the couch, her head on my lap. "And what about Matt? You talked about all our friends except him."

I stroke her hair absently while thinking, "well, I don't remember anything special… I think he dated a vampire at some point, but nothing happened to him particularly. Ann used to joke around about the fact that he was one of the only remaining humans in Mystic Falls."

We stayed in silence for a while. I was desperately trying to find a way to tell her about Mom's fate in the show when she talked again. "Claire… What happened to Mom and me?"

I looked down at her, startled. "How do you…"

She had a sad smile at the confirmation that, indeed, _something _happened to her and Mom. "You said Matt was the only remaining human of Mystic Falls and didn't mention something about us being witches or werewolves. I figured that Mom and I…" She looked on the side, avoiding my eyes.

"You're right." I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "First, you were involved in a car crash one day and your chances to make it were low. So Elena asked one of the brothers, Damon I think, but I can't be sure, to feed you his blood."

"Eeew! Why? That's gross!"

I chuckled half-nervously, "yeah, I know, but vampire's blood has healing abilities."

"Sill gross. But, if it healed me, then why did I die?"

I winced, just thinking about Caroline's death disturbed me. "Katherine Pierce, in short, she's a 500-year-old vampire and the ancestor/doppelganger of Elena. For some reason I can't fathom, she killed you that night, while you had vampire blood in your system. That caused you to turn in one."

"I… See." she squeezes my hand holding hers, "and Mom? What happens to her."

I close my eyes because I know, I know that I can't prevent Mom from what will happen to her. "She will be diagnosed with cancer around your first year at college."

I don't open my eyes but I can sense Caroline get up from her position. "That's why you insisted that Mom and Dad do regular check-ups, right?"

I finally gather the courage to look at her, "yes, that's why I did that. Maybe if it's diagnosed early she will have a chance."

"And what about vampire blood? You said it has healing abilities no?" She looked slightly distressed, and I can understand her, it's my Mom too.

"I think Ann said something about a try but, apparently, the blood didn't work with cancer patients because it actually accelerates the speed of cell production and doesn't make differences between the healthy and unhealthy ones."

She stayed in silence, her expression thoughtful before her face became determined. "Okay, tell me everything you can remember about the show, and what we can do to change everything for the better."

"What? _We_?" I looked at her dumbfounded.

"You really thought I would let you sort that mess out by yourself?" She raised her eyebrows, surprised.

"Well… To be honest, I didn't think you would believe me in the first place."

"As if you could lie to me. I always know when you try to." she grinned condescendingly.

"That's not true! I have already lied to you without you finding out!" I said defensively.

"You're talking about that time when you said that you had brought me a birthday present months ago but really you were still at the mall trying to find one?" Her eyes were full of mischief. "Or that time, when you said that this guy from Whitmore…"

"Okay! Okay! You win, you win!" I almost scream, moving my arms desperately in front of her and trying to shut her mouth with my hands. What happened with that guy from Whitmore needed to stay unsaid. "Let's plot, okay? You love plotting, don't you?"

She laughed at my desperate attempt to change the subject but agreed nonetheless. I got up to find my notebook and we browsed through it together.

I wrote every little detail that I remembered for the last eight years in there, along with all my tentatives of strategy to avoid the big bad news.

* * *

After those days at the Lake Cabin, Caroline and I grew even closer than before, and Mom was happy about that, surprised but happy. I think she thought it was because of their divorce, and neither Caroline nor I told her otherwise.

We talked a lot about the few things I could recall of the show, and we both agreed that the most pressing task on our list was Enzo.

The poor guy was being tortured in the basement of our community college.

We began to plan and investigate, trying to identify where he was and who was implicated in that. I remembered something about a fire in the past where Damon left Enzo for dead and, after long research in the olds newspapers, Caroline finally found one in the '50, at Whitmore House.

Concluding that it was probably there, we decided that we needed to snoop around the place and decided to go there by ourselves. Mom was rarely at home, trying to drown her failures in her work and, at first, we tried to stop her, to let her know that she wasn't _wrong_ because her husband left her. But that didn't help, on the contrary, she seemed to take our words like another failure. We finally let her be, even if we miss our Mom.

That left us a lot of time to go to Whitmore for our investigation. The third time, we made a surprising meeting.

Caroline and I were sitting on a bench, not far from the house itself, when we heard the familiar voice. "Caroline? Claire? What are you doing here?"

We both stand to face him, surprised. Caroline was the one to recover first. "Dr. Gilbert? What are you doing here?!"

"I already told you to call me Grayson, Caroline." He then turned toward the man with him. "I work on some research projects with Dr. Maxfield here. Wes, this is the twin daughters of my friend, Bill Forbes."

"Nice to meet you," there was something about him that set me off, but I couldn't tell what. "I already saw you around there, you don't seem old enough to go to college…"

"We are visiting my friend, Ann," I said before Caroline, my stomach was tightening because of his presence only, but I didn't know why and I hated myself for that. Bless my sister, who didn't even flinch at the bullshit she was hearing for the first time.

"Well, we will leave you to it." Dr. Gilbert put his hand on Maxfield's shoulder with a smile and they both made their way toward the house. Grayson seemed to say something at the younger doctor, who looked quickly in our direction with a suspicious glare.

That's when I recognized him.

I fought hard to keep a smile in my face until they disappeared in the house, then, I collapsed on the bench, paler than usual.

Caroline looked at me, worried, "Claire? What is it? Are you alright?"

"It's him, Care," I muttered. "He was the one I saw torturing Enzo."

Her eyes widened, and I could almost see my words made their way in her brain. I knew exactly when she came to the same conclusion as me. "_Research projects_… You can't think that… Come on, Claire, it's Elena's father!"

"But think about it Care! He's from a founding family, he knows about… All the stuff. You can't deny it, that seems plausible!"

She sat beside me, "Oh my…"

And indeed, future investigation leads us to conclude that Grayson Gilbert was implicated in those experiments. We were stuck, not knowing how to proceed or what to do with our information.

And then, it happened. On May 23, Elena and her parents had an accident, and the girl was the only one who survived. I don't know why, but when I heard of that, I knew that it had begun. Soon enough, the shit will hit the fan in Mystic Falls. I needed to get Enzo out before then. Something tells me that I will need allies in the future.

Two weeks later, Elena asked Caroline and Bonnie to go with her at a soiree held in her parents' memories at the hospital. I wasn't that surprised by the lack of invitation for me, Elena and I weren't that close. No, I was more interested in the fact that _all _of Grayson's colleagues were invited. And by all, I mean even his colleagues from Whitmore.

Caroline doesn't agree with me, of course, because she has to be with Elena this night, but it was the best moment to try and free Enzo from Augustine.

I need to get out my crowbar.

And to find a good lockpick kit, too.


	4. Chap 4: I'm not planning to die Again

**Chapter 4: I'm not planning to die… **_**Again**_**.**

.

.

"You're sure you want to do it now?" Caroline said, for the tenth times in less than twenty minutes.

"You know I have to do it tonight, it's probably the only opportunity we would have for a long time," I reply, pulling my car in a spot in front of the hospital.

"I know but… I can call Elena and tell her I can't come because you're sick or something…"

I sigh, but I know she is just worried for me, after all, I'm going to sneak in a secret organization's HQ to free a vampire who had been tortured and starved for a _long_ time. He could totally eat me in half a second. "Look, Care, don't worry about me, okay? I'll be fine. You know Elena needs you, she is avoiding everyone since her parents' death, and if she asked you to be there it's because she really needs a friend."

"Yeah, I know… You're right." She presses the back of her head against her seat and sighs. Finally, she turns towards me, "you're still planning to borrow it from here?"

I decided to ignore her worried tone. "Hell yes, this is going to be fun."

She chuckled, "promise me to be prudent, Claire, please."

"I will be prudent, Care, I promise."

It's funny how, for the first time in my life, the most illegal and dangerous thing I ever did was when Ann provided fake ID's and we used them to enter some clubs. And now that I am the daughter of a fucking Sheriff, I found myself in some big, dangerous, and illegal business every Monday. Like opening a grave in the middle of the night to kill a thousand-year-old vampire. Or breaking in a hospital to steal blood bags.

I'm not reckless to the point of releasing a starving vampire without food elsewhere than in _my veins_, thank you very much.

It didn't take me very long to find the place where the blood stock was, I came yesterday to search for it and see where the cameras were located. I came prepared.

Finding a badge that I could discreetly steal and use to open it was something else.

Honestly, I kind of expected it to just be there, on the first desk I come across, like in every movie ever. I sort of live in a TV show, no? But that wasn't as easy, unfortunately. I had to 'accidentally' bump into four nurses before I could finally grab their freaking card.

A quick research on google that morning, and I knew that the most common blood types were O and A positive. From the two, the A-type was the one with less compatibility with other types and I chose to steal only from that type.

I know that the blood was still needed, really, but I didn't care that much. It was a dozen blood bags or my life. I was kind of egotistical when it comes to that and I'm not planning to die… _Again_.

It took me considerably less time to come back to my car with the blood secured in my bag than what I needed to steal the badge.

* * *

I parked my car at five minutes of walking distance from the Whitmore House, in a tentative to hide it a little.

The door of the house was surprisingly open. Was it normal? Was it safe to continue with my plan?

Shaking my head, I opened the door.

_Sorry, Care._

There was where come the problem… How did I find those secret labs, now?

Nevermind. That was easy, finally. They were behind the only closed door. Finally, this lockpick kit had been useful!

Walking through the bland laboratory was almost scary, but nothing like when I finally made it to the cells. They were exactly how I always pictured how the cells would be in those old castles. Dirty, rocky, and scary.

One of the cells was empty.

In the second one was a dark-haired man, half lying against the wall in the back, his head down on his naked chest. His _bloody_ naked chest. From where I was, I could still see thin red lines on it, some slowly disappearing, and stains of dry blood. "Oh my…"

I walked until I was at a safe distance from the grids, "Hey? You can hear me?"

I startled him, I startled a _vampire_, what exactly have they done to him? Even now that he knew I was here, he just looked at me blandly. "I… I have blood for you," I said, pulling out one of the blood bags.

I could see his eyes slightly widening with shock before a frown took place on his face, he was suspicious. "I will be honest; I didn't plan that far. The plan was kinda lame, something like 'get in there, free the guy' but I didn't exactly know what I'm supposed to do, now… So, I will just put that here for you, okay…" I put slowly the bag in the cellule, passing my arm between the bars, my heart beating at an awfully fast rhythm in my chest.

I looked at him, but he didn't move, looking at me with a mix of shock, suspicion, and gratitude. I saw his hand twitching slightly in the bag direction and realized how stupid I was.

"I'm sorry, I didn't really think about it… Can you move?" I stammer out, nervous and, really, just embarrassed I hadn't thought of that.

"Not really, darling." His voice was hoarse. Was it because he didn't talk for a long time? Or because he… Screamed too much recently? I really didn't want to know.

"Oh, God…" I looked at the ceiling, "I'm sorry, Caroline, I'm going to do something stupid." I pulled out my crowbar from my bag and was going to open the door with it when my phone rang.

I took it out to see Caroline's name on the screen. Did she know what I'm doing?! "Care? How did-"

"_Claire, you need to get the fuck out of there, now!"_

"What? Why?" I could see Enzo frown deepen as he concentrated to listen in.

"_Maxfield! I was looking out for him and I heard someone say something about him going back to the house to meet someone. I don't know what is it, Claire, but you need to get out before he gets there."_

"I found him, Care, I can't leave him behind!"

"Claire, please… Don't…" She sighed, defeated. "Do it quickly, Claire, I don't know how long you have."

"I will, I call you back when we are out of there." I cut the call and tuck my phone back in my pocket. "So… I'm opening the door but, please, don't kill me, okay?"

He chuckled lightly and, despite the broken voice, the sound was reassuring. It took me five good minutes to break the door with my crowbar. It was old and rusty, the only thing that prevented Enzo to do it was… Well, his poor physical condition.

I grabbed the blood bag from the floor and slowly made my way to him. "Remember, huh? You don't kill me, okay?"

I helped him drink at first, but his arms were good enough after the second one for him to do it by himself. I was handing him the sixth one when we heard the front door opening and males' voices. "You could have chosen another day for that Aaron," begun the voice I recognized as Maxfield's. "I can't just stop everything because you want to see in your father's safe."

"You could just give me a key, if that's the problem, Wes." Replied another voice, way younger than Maxfield.

"You know I can't let you come here alone, some of our researches are dangerous." I almost chuckled at that. Looking at Enzo, I knew what he was thinking instantly.

"You can't!" I whispered. "Please-"

"I let you here, I'm going to go see how my rat labs is while you do what you want to." His voice was closer now.

"Please, don't throw away what I did to free you!" I was panicking. We could go away, I know we could with Enzo vampire's speed, but not if he tries to get some revenge at Maxfield. "He is probably carrying vervain and you are not in any shape to beat him right now."

He looked offended and stood to prove me wrong. But he almost tripped on his own foot and was able to stand only with the help of the wall. I looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Please…" If he chose to fight, I was screwed.

His stare was determinately focused on the door, from where we could hear Maxfield's steps. I can understand the hate in his eyes, I _saw_ what they did to him, and I knew they did so much more than that.

I couldn't bring myself to be mad at him when Maxfield opened the door. "It's okay, I'm not mad." As soon as the whisper left my mouth, I felt the world turning and the wind in my face.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and I looked up from my position, pressed against his chest, to see him looking away from me.

"Oh my God! Thank you!" I hugged him tightly, "I thought he was going to find us!"

I let go of him and he smiled, "I'll be back in a second." Before I could even think of stopping him, he was gone.

I looked at the place he used to be, my eyes so open they hurt me. "Did he got back anyway? Everything I did was for nothing?"

"Don't worry, darling, I just needed to grab that." I turned around to see him, holding an ancient-looking ring. "It was kept in their safe and I heard him opening it." He shrugged and I just breathed heavily.

"Daylight ring?" He nodded and I looked at it thoughtfully. "I was wondering how I could get you one. Anyway! Do you think you can use your vamp speed again? My car is in this direction."

He nodded and looked at me strangely. "Your car… you don't seem old enough to have a car…"

"Oh my, I have so much to teach you about this century!" I grabbed his arm. "But first, I need to call my sister and we are going to pick her up too… Oh! My name's Claire, by the way, Claire Forbes!"

He looked a little taken aback by my attitude. "Enzo," he muttered, but I heard him all good in the silence of the night.

The next second, we were next to my car.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Enzo and I were waiting for my sister, in the car parked in front of the hospital. Enzo changed in my dad's old clothes that Caroline thought of providing for him, his face hidden in the hood of a black sweater, and was drinking the last blood bags I stole for him.

I send a quick text to Care, telling her that I was here, before looking at Enzo in the rearview. He was looking at me too, and our gaze met. "I know you probably want to ask a lot of questions right now, and I will answer as much as I can, I promise. I just want to be sure we're in a private place for that, okay?"

He stared at me for a while but didn't respond. Honestly, I was becoming nervous in that silence. I would have begun to ramble if Caroline hadn't opened the door.

"Thank God, you make it out alive, I would have killed you otherwise!" She sat beside me and I started the car instantly. She turned her upper body to face Enzo. "Hi there, my name is Caroline, I'm her twin sister, nice to meet you."

"Enzo," his tone wasn't as cheerful as Caroline's but at least he answered.

Caroline seemed to take the hint because she stayed silent the entire ride home. I pulled on the alleyway and noted that, as I suspected, Mom's cruiser wasn't there. She spends all her time at work since Dad left.

"So, you need a verbal invitation to enter a house, right?" I ask as we made our way to the door. "How that works exactly? Does that need to be said by the proprietary or anyone who lives there is fine? Because it's Mom's name on the act…"

"No, anyone who lives there is fine." He looked at both of us as Caroline turned the keys and pushed the door. "You don't know me, why are you letting me come into your house?"

"Because we're stupid?" I ask jokingly and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Don't mind her, she is the stupid one. Come in, Enzo, and we will explain, okay?"

We made our way to my room, making a slight detour by the kitchen to grab some unhealthy food to eat while we talk. Caroline and I sat on the bed, but Enzo chose to stay up. I guess he still didn't trust us completely.

"I don't want to lie to you," I began. Because it was my explanation to make. Caroline let me be the one to choose what I would say to him. "You'll have to accept that I wouldn't be able to tell you everything. Not now anyway."

I waited until he nods to continue. "I had a best friend, Ann. She passed away in a car crash now but, before that she told me about some things she… _Saw_."

Technicality. I'm going to base all my explanation of them. Ann _was_ my best friend, and she _saw_ the things I know thanks to her. If they think that she was some sort of witch… Well, I never mentioned something like that.

* * *

After our conversation and a quick update about the 21st century, we took Enzo to the only motel in town. For a week after that, while Caroline went to cheerleading practice after school, Enzo and I will walk in the park and I will teach him how to live in our time.

Today wasn't an exception, well, apart from the fact that we didn't talk. I didn't really find anything to add to our lesson, we had pretty much talked about all the important things. He surprised me when he talked. "I wasn't always alone there; I don't know if Ann saw that…"

He looked at me sideways and I nodded, to let him know that she did. "She didn't tell me everything, but I remember that."

"I thought he was my friend, you know? We had a plan to escape and I trusted him." He moved a hand in his hair and looked stubbornly in front of him. "He left me for dead at the first obstacle. Switched his humanity and turned on his heels, leaving me trapped in a flaming room. I know I'm the one to blame, I was stupid enough to-..."

"You're not! You're not at fault, and you weren't stupid for wanting a friend after so many years alone." I took his hand in mine, "I'm sorry you had to live that, Enzo. But you're my friend now and, as long as you don't harm my family, I will _never_ betray you."

He stopped his walk and turned to look at me. "I owe you everything, Claire. I would never _think_ about hurting you or your loved ones." He hugged me and I returned it happily.

* * *

I turn around in the kitchen, searching for the serving spoons, while Caroline looked at me with a mocking smirk. "Aren't you going to help me? Enzo will be here in any minute, now!" I looked at the clock, panicked, "and Mom, why isn't she here?"

I run to my phone to call her, and Caroline sighs at my back. "Claire…"

"No, Care, she said she would be here, this time. She is not going to work all night." I push her name in my contact list, and take the phone to my ear. She answers after two rings.

"Claire, I was going to call you…" Her voice is apprehensive, and I let myself fall onto one of the chairs, I know what she is going to say.

"You have to work all night, didn't you?" Caroline looks at me with sympathy. "It's the third time you can't make it."

"Claire, I'm sorry-..." She began, but I cut her.

"No, you're not. We want you to meet our friend, really meet him, not just cross him at the doorway. Because you don't approve of our friendship with him. You can't even come and make your own opinion of him, because you chose your job over your daughters. Again." I stand up and made my way to the oven to check on my chicken. "You know what? It's okay, don't come, but I don't want you to judge him, or any of our friends, because you don't have the right anymore."

"Claire…" I heard her sighs, the silence stretch for another minute and when I was ready to cut the call, she continued. "Give me an hour, okay? I'll be a little late, but I'll come, I promise."

I didn't answer right away, looking at Caroline's expectant features. "Okay, but after an hour, we start dinner without you."

"Fair enough," she whispers. "Well, I have to go if I want to be there on time... Bye, Claire."

"Bye, Mom." I cut the call. "She'll be an hour late… But, hey, at least she will come!" I add the last bit with fake cheerfulness, and Caroline wasn't fooled.

Mom briefly met Enzo not long after we freed him, three weeks ago, when he comes to our house to see us. Most of the time she isn't there, and when she is, she is on her way to work. The only thing she knew about him is his looks. Enzo looked like he was in his late 20s, and she wasn't really pleased that we were friends with a guy that much older than us.

Ironically, the only viable excuse we found was that he was from Whitmore. Technicality, I guess.

Today was the third time we tried to organize a dinner for her to meet him officially. _Tried_ was the keyword, she canceled at the last minute two times already. I wasn't going to try a fourth time.

Caroline and I were settling the table, leaving only the hot things in the oven, when the doorbell rang. Enzo probably knew my Mom wasn't there, but if he didn't, he probably understood when he saw my face. "She called to cancel?"

"She said she will be there in…" I looked at my watch, "thirty-three minutes, now, but who knows." He took me in a one-armed hug before entering the house. We're building a strong friendship since our talk, at the park. I like that.

I closed the door and followed him in the living room, where Caroline had finished the table. "How about we put the TV on while we wait for Mom?"

We were in the middle of our second episodes of Friends when the door opened again. I smiled at my Mom when she entered the living room in her Sheriff uniform. "Mom! You came! I will go grab the chicken and the potatoes; everyone sits at the table!" I run to the kitchen and Caroline followed me to help.

When everyone was served, we all ate in silence for the first minutes. That was _awkward_. But then, Enzo told her how 'wonderful' we are and other sweet words. By the end of the dinner, Mom absolutely _loved _him.

That was a pretty cool dinner.

* * *

"So, you chose what you're going to do now?" I ask Enzo taking a sip of my tea.

"Not really," he added sugar in his coffee, and I masked a disgusted pout in my cup. "I don't have anything anywhere, besides you and your sister."

"As much as I want to keep you here, we can't with Augustine searching for you…" I whisper the last part, knowing that he would hear me anyway. We were at the Grill waiting for Care, and I didn't want anyone to hear what we were talking about.

"You know, I could just come back there and…" He looked at me with a hopeful smile, but I shook my head.

"We can't risk it. They expect you; they would be prepared. We need more help, and I know of someone who will be in town soon enough, and that I can't bring to help us. But in the meantime, you need to be at a safe distance."

"And for that, we thought about a trip around the world," Caroline said, sitting at our table with her own coffee. "Don't seem so disgusted, Claire, it's not like I shoved the cup under your nose." She jokes at my face.

"I can already smell it too much as it is, I don't need that… _thing_ near my precious nose, thank you very much." I turn towards an amused Enzo. "But yes, we thought about making you travel a little. You would see the world, and we can keep contact via Skype. We will tell you as soon as we have the help to handle the case Augustine, I promise."

"This is the only way to keep everyone safe?" He asks, and I know that he knows we are right.

"It is," I told him. He just nods.

"I want a picture of every single place you will visit, okay?" Said Caroline, only half-joking.

* * *

"Bonnie send me a text," said Caroline, putting the car in a spot in front of our school. "She said Elena seemed fine when she picked her up, but I wouldn't believe her until I see her myself. The poor thing lost both of her parents and then locked herself. I hadn't seen her since that night at the hospital."

It was the first day of school and, to be honest, I didn't even see the end of the summer pass since Enzo departures. We stayed in contact, of course, the vampire slowly became someone I call my best friend. Caroline talked with him too, even if they weren't as close, my sister was actually active in Mystic Falls social life and hadn't as much free time as me.

The absence of Elena at all the '_place to be_' this summer had been a pretty recurrent subject with Caroline.

"Really?" I say, pulling my hair up in a ponytail. "I think you're just trying to not think about Dad by getting your nose in other's business," I told her without beating around the bush.

She glared at me and I start to laugh at her offended face, but stopped quickly, choking with shock. My face probably turn pale because Caroline's glare dropped and she looked at me with concern. "Claire? Are you ok?"

I shook my head, my eyes not moving from him as he walks through the crowd of students, sunglasses on the nose. The only thing I can do is stutter, "Care…"

She understands what I was trying to say because she followed my line of sight. "This is a new student? I don't know him…"

"It's him Care. It's happening," I whisper, I feel dizzy and try to inhale but my breath is blocked in my throat. "We're in the first episode."

* * *

**_A/N: Hey, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, we're finally at the beginning of the series! What did you think about Claire's operation? Enzo wasn't too OOC? _**

**_Thanks to the wonderful WinchesterGurl1967 who beta'ed this chapter!_**

**_Stay safe!_**

**_XxxX Miss Dragonish_**


	5. Chapter 5: I will always pick you first

**Chapter 5: I will always pick **_**you**_** first.**

.

.

'_Act normally.'_ _'He can't know we know about him.' 'No big deal, we knew this day was coming, right.' _I can't _believe_ I said that to Caroline less than three hours ago. I'm actually a big ball of nerves. Literally a mess. Especially since I was in French and, guess who was there? Stefan _freaking_ Salvatore. I mean, the guy is a vampire no? He's old as dirt, he should've had the time to learn French _before_, right?

The bell rings and I put my stuff in my bag, faster than I had ever done before. Thankfully, the guy is too focused on Elena to notice that I was trying to be as far from him as possible.

I have my next class with Caroline and we agreed to meet up by her locker. I find her there, talking with Dana, a girl from our History class. "Hey, Dana, ready for Tanner?"

"Oh, God, no, who is ready for a class with him, really?" She rolls her eyes and I chuckle. Contrary to the majority of Mystic Falls' student population, I didn't really _hate_ Tanner. I mean, the guy is a prick, but I found amusing how he doesn't sugarcoat any of his thoughts. That being said, I hate having classes with him and totally think the guy never should've become a teacher. He _sucks_.

"No one, Dana, no one. We all dread these moments like Gryffindor dread Snape's classes."

She laughed, "well, girls, I'll be on my way, I need to grab my books. Hope the paper helps, Caroline. Bye, Claire."

"You need to stop the Harry Potter reference, Claire. You will scare away any boys who want to date you." I smile, of course, everything turns around boys with my sister.

"If he can't stand a reference or two, I'm so not gonna date him," I reply, sticking out my tongue. "Paper?" I ask with a curious glare in the direction where Dana left.

She took a paper out of her bag, "Dana is in the students' council, so I asked her to find me a copy of Salvatore's file."

I blink, startled, I had forgotten about him for the time of the conversation. "Care, you-"

"You know me," she cuts me. "I need to know everything about the new hot guy in school." She said with a smile, but her eyes were telling me that it was totally something she would have done. Even if we were not in the current situation. And I knew she was right.

"You're incorrigible," I smile. "But you're my little sister, so I love you anyway."

"Aww, I knew that. Who, in their right mind, doesn't love me?"

* * *

I park in front of the house in Caroline's car. She gave it to me after class, choosing to go to the Grill with Bonnie. I wasn't in the mood for people right now, and I _definitely _wasn't in the mood for the discussion the girls will certainly have about Salvatore.

I close the car door and made my way to the door when I finally noticed that Mom's cruiser was on the street. That's odd, she should be at work.

I find her standing in the living room, wearing her Sheriff's uniform and a worried expression on her face, looking at the TV. "Mom? I thought you worked tonight…"

She turned toward me, surprised, shoving her right hand in a bag on the table. Trying, but failing, to hide the journal she was holding. Caroline and I had read those journals months ago, they were from our ancestors and about vampires.

I looked at the TV screen, that was on the news channel and talked about the death of Darren Malloy and Brooke Fenton in an '_animal attack_'. Oh, the Council was already suspicious?

"Claire? Shouldn't you be at the Grill with your sister?" She asked, turning off the news.

"I wasn't in the mood for people right now. I think I will just take a shower and call Enzo," I said with a tired smile.

"Where is he now? Spain, right?" She asks, grabbing the sports bag from the table.

"Yes, for one more week, I think. You're… going back to work?" I ask her; a little disappointed, but not really surprised.

"Yes, I have to work, I just needed something here." She looked at me, for a second. "I'm sorry Claire, I…"

I let the silence lengthen as I wait for her to finish her sentence, but she doesn't. "It's okay, Mom, I'm not surprised." I can see that my response hurt her, but there is nothing that I can say to change that. Dad left almost a year ago and she was still processing it. I understand that, but we were her daughters, Dad left us, too. We needed our mother and she chose her work over us. _I_ could live with that, I was used to it, but not Caroline, despite all her denial.

I made my way to my room without adding anything and, five minutes later, I heard the front door closing.

Two hours and a shower later, I grabbed my computer and sat down in my bed, in pajamas, to skype Enzo. He took his time to answer, and I use it to dry my hair.

"Hola Gorgeous, how was your first day at school?" His voice is sleepy and I suddenly remember the time difference.

"Oh my, you were sleeping? I'm so sorry! I can call back later if-"

"Don't worry, Gorgeous, I don't need much sleep anyway." He looked at me through the screen with narrowed eyes. "But you, you seem preoccupied, what's on your mind?"

I sigh, preparing myself for the coming discussion. "Remember when I said that Ann saw some things that will happen in Mystic Falls in the future?" He nods and I let myself fall back on my pillows, bringing my computer with me. "Everything began when two vampires, two brothers came to town, and one of them was at my school that morning and the other will probably be there in no time."

"I'll be there in two days."

"No!" I almost scream, getting up and nearly breaking my computer in the process. "Enzo, you can't be in Mystic Falls right now, okay? The Council is on the edge, two people died already, I can't risk that they find out about you. And... " I trailed off, not sure how I can say the rest.

"And what Claire?" He sounded nervous.

"Look, I don't recall _everything_ Ann told me about your captivity, but… Enzo… The brothers, it's… It's Damon and Stefan Salvatore." I looked at him while all sorts of expressions crossed his face, until determination settled.

"You can't expect me not to come, Claire! This man, you can't trust him." He closes his eyes for a second and when he opens them again, I could see how much he was troubled. "You freed me from them, you _saved _me, I owe you _everything_. I _need_ to come and protect you from him, Claire."

"No, you need to stay alive. If there is something I know about the Salvatore's, it's that they will do anything to protect themselves, or what they consider as theirs. They wouldn't hesitate before denouncing you to the council." I looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please, Enzo, you'll have the opportunity for your revenge, I promise, but… Please, not now, give me just a little time before coming back."

He looked above the camera for a minute, his jaw clenched, before talking again. "How is Caroline and your Mom?"

I sigh with a little smile, relieved, I know that he wouldn't let the subject down for too long, but at least he wasn't going to buy a plane ticket as soon as we cut the call. "They're fine. Mom still works day and night but, we're used to it, now."

We talked for twenty more minutes but I could sense that he wasn't pleased to stay away from Mystic Falls. I cut the call knowing that he needed some time to digest the news.

I sigh, again, looking at the windows. That's it, I was officially in a TV show.

* * *

Caroline comes home with take-out while I was doing my homework in the kitchen. I stand and help her set the foods on the table. "How were Bonnie and Elena?"

She doesn't look up from the bag she emptied when she answers. "They were okay. Elena came with Stefan." She sat and grabbed her box to eat.

I waited until she continues, there is no way she hasn't more to say, but she didn't. "What's it, Caroline? Are you okay?"

She finally looked at me with and sad smile at the corner of her mouth. "It's stupid, really." She sighs, playing with her food. "It's Stefan… I wanted to see if he would be interested in me, you know? But he was so into Elena… I asked him if he was coming to the party tomorrow, and you know what he did?" She puts her hair behind her ear, annoyed. "He asked _Elena_ if she was coming. I get it, it's always about Elena; she is perfect, she doesn't even try to be but… It's okay, I'm inappropriate, I know that, I'm not like her. Everyone picks her… she is Elena. It's always about Elena…"

I looked at Caroline with surprise, since when did my little sister feel like that? "It's not." She stops playing with her food to look at me. "It's not always about her, Caroline. Everything I ever did, _ever_, was about _you._ _You_'re my little sister. I will always pick _you_ first." I get around the table to grab her shoulders and force her to look into my eyes. "You deserve the world, Caroline. And, one day, someone would see it, and they would pick _you _first. You are not inappropriate, you're you, and if they can't see how wonderful it is, they don't deserve your love."

She hugs me tightly as soon as I finish. "Thank you, Claire," she whispers, "I think I needed to hear that."

"Anytime, little sis, anytime."

* * *

"You know that I'm at this stupid party because of you, right?" I look at Caroline with a glare, grabbing a beer. It's frightening how underage drinking was easy in this town.

"I know, it's because you love me!" Her eyes suddenly grabbed something behind me. "Look like Stefan is here."

I turned to look at him, "I thought his opinion doesn't matter anymore?"

She smiles at me with mischief, "oh, it doesn't. But that doesn't mean I will let him flirt with Elena so easily."

"You're _incorrigible_. And remember, he doesn't deserve you." She kissed my cheek and made her way to the poor guy. I'm almost sorry for him.

I sat in a corner, talking to some of my classmates but, I wasn't really a sociable girl and they don't stay long with me. Caroline comes back ten minutes later, a pout on her lips.

"That's not even funny, the guy disappeared as soon as I turned around!" Her offended face is too funny and I laugh at her, causing her to smack me on the arm.

"Don't be like that, you know it's funny!" I tease her with a smile.

"You're so troublesome, Claire! Come on, let's dance!" She grabbed my hand and pulls me onto the dancefloor to dance with her.

I have to admit, that was fun. So, of course, something bad happened. We turned toward the woods, from where Elena and Jeremy were coming, screaming for help. "Oh my God, It's Vicki!"

Matt runs toward her sister when the information finally caught up and I turn toward the last place I saw Salvatore. He looked shocked and walked out of the crowd.

Soon Vicki was taken to the hospital and Caroline and I got in Bonnie's car, she was the one who drove us here.

"Did you want me to pass by the Grill? She needs a coffee to get sober, no?" She looked at Caroline, whose head was on my shoulder.

"No it's okay, thank you, take us home directly. Don't worry, even if Mom is still awake I will cover for her."

When we get home, Mom wasn't even here. Still working, I guess.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Caroline asks while I take off my shoes.

"Of course," I didn't even look at her, but I know she hasn't finished talking.

"Did… Did you think it was Stefan?"

I looked up, honestly surprised by her question. "Vicki?" I ask, and she nods. "I… Don't think so? He looked surprised and… Ann mentioned something about not controlling himself, when he drinks human blood. She would be dead if it was Stefan. No, I rather think that... Damon is in town."

And what a terrifying thought it was.

* * *

I was sitting on the couch, a tea between my hands when Caroline entered the living room. "There was another, Care. '_Animal_' attack, I mean. They found two dead campers this morning."

"So… It's official. He is in town too…"

"I don't want you at less than five feet from him, Care."

She chuckles, "I will try."

"I'm serious Caroline, I don't want him to use you. Did you take your vervain?"

"It's in there," she showed me her coffee. "And in there," she grabbed her necklace. She looks at me and I'm sure she can see how much I'm worried. "I'll be okay, Claire. Come on, we have to go. Oh, and you remember that we have to give out the programs, after school?"

"Oh my, you're a despot, Care, you know that?"

* * *

"Caroline?" I ask, worried when I see her wandering around the Place. "Sorry, Dana, I have to go see what's up with her."

"It's okay, Claire. See you tomorrow."

I wave at her and walk to Care, who was looking around her with a frown. "What's wrong? I can't leave you alone for five minutes?" I joke, but I don't love her expression.

She rolls her eyes, "it's just Vicki, Jeremy can't find her and Matt is worried now. Did you knew _Vicki Donovan_ slept with Jeremy?"

"Yes, that was pretty obvious. The kid walks behind her like a lost puppy since this summer. Where is the last place she was seen?"

"The Grill, I think. She works there so she-" She looked down at her phone when he beeped. "Nevermind, they found her, they're at the Grill." She grabbed my hand and walked there.

"Who found her?" I ask, curious.

"Bonnie says it's Stefan." She replies, opening the door.

I suddenly stop in the middle of the Grill, looking at Matt who was making another bandage around Vicki's neck.

"Care…" She looked toward me curiously. "Stefan found her…. Without her bandage…"

"Yea-... No… You think... His br-... He was…" She trails off, as Stefan enters the Grill too. We share a look before sitting at Bonnie's table.

"Hey, Bonnie. How is your Grams?"

"Hey, Claire! Still as drunk as usual but-" She was cut by Stefan.

"Uhm, have you guys seen Elena?" He asks, and I think he is nervous about what his brother could have done to her.

I shook my head but Bonnie answers, "I think she went home," She looks at the poor guy disappointed face and adds. "I'm gonna give you Elena's cell number, and her email." She writes down the information. "She is big on texting, and you can tell her I said so."

She holds out her hand and he grabbed the paper. Bonnie suddenly freezes for a second. "You ok?" Ask Stefan.

But she just whispers, "What happened to you?" When she realized what she said, she shook her head. "That's so rude. I'm sorry." She stands and took off in the direction of the bathroom. "Excuse me."

Caroline smiles to Stefan, "Yeah, she kind of wigs out. It's like... her thing." She adds awkwardly. When Stefan was out of the Grill, she turned toward me. "That was one of her witchy stuff?"

"I don't really know, I think so… Even if she doesn't believe her, her Grams is telling her she is a witch, maybe it's because her powers are activating?" I shrug. "Go start the car, I will see how she is, okay?"

She nod and I go after Bonnie. I found her at one of the sinks, filling her hands with water to wet her face. "Bonnie? You okay?"

She jumps and looks toward me, a hand on her heart. "God, Claire, you scared me." She shook her head and turned off the water. "I'm fine, I just have this… Feeling when I touched him."

"What feeling, Bonnie?"

She looks in my eyes through the mirror with concern, "It's stupid but… It's just how I imagine… He felt like… Like death." But then she smiled nervously and shook her eyes. "I'm probably just drunk, that's okay! Don't worry, I'll just go home now."

"Yeah… Okay…" I looked at her, wondering what I could add, before just waving a hand and turning on my heels, taking the parking's direction.

I almost had a heart attack when I got there to find Damon Salvatore flirting with my sister.

"Caroline?" I almost-scream and walk toward them.

"Claire!" She smiles at me with her future-Miss-Mystic-Falls-smile, "This is Damon, he's Stefan's brother! He didn't tell me he has a brother! Did he tell you?"

"I didn't talk much with him, so no, he didn't." I turned toward Damon, "nice to meet you, Damon. What did you want with my sister ?"

"He wanted a date tonight but, honestly, with all that stuff with Vicki, I'm not really in the mood, sorry Damon."

"No worries, it's okay…" He looked between us, puzzled, and his eyes landed on our necklaces. "Nice necklaces, by the way. They're... Identical..."

I grabbed mine with my left hand. "It's a present from our Mom, the Sheriff, something about an heirloom of the Forbes or something." I smile politely at him, letting him subtly know that we were the Sheriff's daughters and from a Founders' Family. If he didn't already know, of course.

"Well, ladies, I think it's time for me to leave." He tilts his head toward us and took off in the Grill's direction.

When the door closed behind him I grabbed Caroline's hand but didn't dare to say a word, fearing that he was listening.

We got in the car and made our way to our house silently.

"He tried to flirt with me the old way first," she began when she parks in front of the house. "And when I didn't respond the way he wanted, he tried to compel me to _'go together at my home_' I told him that I wasn't interested when you got there. I was… I was terrified, Claire."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here, Caroline. I'm so sorry." I squeeze her hand as hard as I can. "But I'll not let him hurt you, okay? I'll never let him hurt you. I promise."

* * *

**_A/N: So, we're in the first few episodes... What do you think? For now, we stay pretty close from canon but things change in two or three chapters max, I promise!_**

**_Thank you to the Guest(s) for the reviews, to sam for reviewing almost every chapter and to fairytalesfantasies for your review (I tried to reply but your pm are disabled)._**

**_Thanks again to WinchesterGurl1967 who beta'ed the chapter!_**

**_Stay at home when you can, wash your hands, I hope you stay safe!_**

**_XxxX Miss Dragonish_**


	6. Chapter 6: That was epic!

**Chapter 6: That was _epic_!**

.

.

I walked beside Caroline toward her cheerleading practice, listening to her rambling about what she would make them do today. Honestly, I don't understand how anyone could work under Caroline's commandment _voluntarily. _

I mean, she's my sister and I love her, but she's a _despot_.

We made it to the terrain where all the girls were assembled, and Caroline squealed when she saw Elena. "God, I was afraid you wouldn't come! Okay, girls, everyone is here?"

"Hey, Bonnie. Are you okay? I didn't see you since yesterday evening." I ask with concern, she was freaked out by her 'vision' yesterday.

"I'm good Claire, thank you." She smiles but I can see she's not _totally _good.

"If you say so," I said before turning toward Elena. "Hey, Elena, I heard your boyfriend tannered Tanner this morning!" She chuckles, but Bonnie seems to become more uncomfortable. "First Tyler, then Tanner, looks like the guy isn't afraid to talk back."

"Yeah, he isn't… And it looks like he's going to try out for the football team…" She looks behind me with a fond smile. I turn to see Salvatore running to the football terrain in uniform. A vampire in a football team, well, _that,_ that was weird.

Before we could continue our conversation, we're cut by Caroline, coming in our direction, her anger clearly _palpable_. "Did you see Gwen? She's not here. Who does she think she is? She can't just skip practice!"

"She wasn't in English this morning," I add, helpfully. But I was just rewarded with a glare.

"She wasn't in History and Physic, too. Maybe she's sick?" Said Bonnie with a frown.

"She can't be _sick_! We need to practice, we have a match tomorrow night, we can't afford to not be _excellent_. And we will not be if _someone_ decides to not come to practice!"

"I will call her, okay, Caroline. Don't worry I'm sure she-" but Elena was cut by a car coming in our direction.

I can't tell the model or the brand, it's just a blue car that seemed _expensive_. Gwen was in the car… With _Damon Salvatore_. Look like he found another poor girl to compel. I can't help but feel a pang of guilt toward the girl but… I would choose Caroline over anyone, anytime.

"Oh my God… It's Damon, Stefan's brother." Elena said when she saw him.

"Looks like the guy has a thing for underage girls…" When Bonnie and Elena turn toward me curiously, I shrug. "He tried to seduce Caroline yesterday, and now it's Gwen. Both are underage, seems like he has a type. Honestly, he was a little creepy when we talked to him." I said, knowing that he's certainly listening.

He smiled in our direction, waved at Elena, and disappeared with his car as soon as Gwen was out of it.

Gwen walked toward us with a smug smile on her lips and a scarf around her neck. "Hey girls. Caroline, sorry, I'm late I had… Better things to _do_, if you see what I mean. Elena, I got your boyfriend's brother, we're, like, already sister-in-law at this point, right?" She laughed at her own joke and made her way toward the lockers room.

Caroline blinked at her back for a while. "I was sorry for her for, like, three seconds, but now I just want to kill her."

"Elena, I'm sorry, but I have to tell you. Your boyfriend's family is _creepy_." I said to the girl with a fake apological look. They all laugh and a smile breaks my lips. "Okay! Bye, girls, I leave you with this despot! I mean, with my lovely sister!" I waved at them and ran out of there as quickly as possible before Caroline kills me.

* * *

Tonight was game night. I have that feeling, since this morning, but I don't know why and that drives me crazy.

"Are you listening?" Caroline finally snaps, walking through the crowd of students in search of Bonnie and Elena.

"Huh? Oh sorry, you were talking about Bonnie?" It's a guess, but she doesn't seem to be _too_ angry so I'm probably right.

"Yeah, she told me that Elena organized a dinner with her and Stefan yesterday. She approves him again, by the way, apparently, he's _charming_." She rolled her eyes and I laughed. "Guess what? Gwen and Damon showed up. Stefan wasn't really happy about that. And Gwen was a bitch. I mean, I don't especially love her but, usually, she's not a _total_ bitch."

"Damon probably compelled her, to piss off his brother."

"You think? That's twisted. Oh, here's Elena." She freezes with a frown, and I look at Elena to see what was up. Oh uh… Elena wasn't in her uniform… "Oh no. No, no, no. She is _not _doing that to _me_."

Caroline walked toward Elena with determination and I… I walked in the other direction, I'm not going to be near her when she was going to explode. No way.

* * *

"I can't believe they keep up the Funder's party despite Tanner's death," Bonnie said, taking a sip from her soda.

Her, Caroline, and I were at the Grill for lunch before we had to prepare ourselves for the party.

"It's Mystic Falls, it seems like they live for those events." I share a look with Care, before adding, "and they caught the mountain lion that attacked Tanner so…"

"Yeah…"

"So… You told your Grams about those numbers?" I ask innocently, I want to know if she believes the witch thing or not yet.

"You're crazy? She'll tell me something about being a witch again! This thing freaked me out already, I won't be adding to it."

I was going to reply when a fourth person sat at our table. We all turned to face Gwen with incredulity. What did she- No, scratch that, what did _Damon_ want.

"Hi, guys. Look, I know we're not close and all but… I saw you sitting there and I told myself: 'Gwen, you can't just stay!'. I'm not supposed to tell that you but…" She leans toward us and, somehow, I doubt the fact that she is _not _supposed to tell us that. "Damon told me something about his brother and I thought that you would want to know."

"I'm not sure that this is necessary, Gwen, thank you," I tell her, not wanting to play Damon's game.

"No, I want to know what you have to say," Bonnie looks at me with widened eyes. Of course, she doesn't understand that she's being manipulated.

"Look, there's this girl, Katherine. They both dated her, okay? And then, she chose Damon over Stefan. Of course, he wasn't happy about it and that's when things got screwy." She looked around her, like not wanting someone to hear her, and I got myself weirdly curious about her story. "He began to lie to her, made up things Damon never dis, manipulating that poor girl until she finally broke up with Damon. The poor thing was devastated, I'm sure he still hasn't moved on, you know?"

"That's tragic, really, but that sounds like one point of view here. You know that there is more than one truth, right?" I smile at Gwen with hypocrisy, knowing that she is manipulated by Damon right now.

"If you don't want to believe me, that's your call, I just thought that I have to tell you… You know, female solidarity and all that." She shrugs, stands, and left the Grill.

I look at Bonnie and I'm dumbfounded when I see that she is seriously considering Gwen's story. _Seriously?_

* * *

The party is in full swing, everyone was dancing or talking. I'm at the buffet, spying on Gwen and Damon. I know that he has some sort of necklace/stone he needs to take tonight, but I don't know when.

Gwen was dancing with Stefan, probably Damon's idea, again. And Damon was talking with Elena. He seems very obsessed with Katherine, that guy.

"Yeah, I didn't want to push my way in, but I wanted to be there for you." I suddenly hear from behind me. I turn around to see Logan Fell, the news guy, talking with Jenna. "And when I heard you were staying in Mystic Falls, I thought maybe…" I cover my mouth with my hand. Was he was trying to get back with Jenna? "Well, maybe I could have a second chance to make things right."

He was! I try not to laugh, listening to Jenna as she leans toward him. "Her name was Monica, wasn't it?" And she left him there, dumbfounded.

I walk toward her with a big smile. "That was _epic_!" I tell her when I reach her. "You're my hero, Jenna."

"God, Claire, I was at that," she shows me her finger close to each other, "to tell him yes. I'm weak." She pulls her head on my shoulder with a whine. I was pretty close to Jenna, she always acted younger than her age and, I, older and we bonded when she used to babysit us. I was in the first row to witness their ugly break up.

"But you didn't, not yet. That's a victory, no?"

She hits me on the arm, "stupid girl. I'm going to grab a drink. I need a drink so bad." She got up and made her way to the bar.

I followed her with my eyes and that's when I saw Damon and Gwen go down the stairs. Oh, there it is…

When Damon made his way outside, leaving her alone, I grabbed her arm and pulled her in the bathroom. "Hey! What's wrong with you?"

"What did Damon do, Gwen?" I ask her, with concern because… She was in this situation because of me, after all.

"Claire?" I turn toward Elena with surprise. Fuck, I hadn't seen that she was there. "What are you-... Oh my God! What is that, Gwen?!" She grabbed Gwen's vest, that moved when I pulled her in there and pulled it down. I could see her bruised back in the mirror. Again, I feel a pang of guilt at that. She's hurt because I changed things…

But an image of Caroline with the same bruises drowned that thought easily. I'll do anything to protect Caroline.

"Is that Damon? Gwen?" Elena asked urgently.

"No! He didn't mean to hurt me!" She pushed Elena from her. "Leave me alone! Both of you!" She stormed out of the bathroom, and Elena was not long to follow. I sigh, tired of all this shit.

And that wasn't even the beginning!

I followed and found Elena threatening Damon outside. When she left, his expression put a dread feeling in my gut. I was afraid for Gwen's safety and decided to follow him.

I stayed at a good distance when he took her in the back garden. Surely that he wasn't planning to kill her… Not in the back garden of the mayor's house… Right?

I almost screamed when he bit her in the neck. I stepped toward them when he was suddenly on the floor, seeming to suffer. Stefan got there and said something about spiking her glass.

Oh, vervain…

He took Gwen's pulse and disappeared with Damon's body. I run to Gwen, taking her pulse. Thank, God, she was alive. "Gwen? Gwen?"

She jumped awake, pushing my hand away. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Gwen, you need-..."

"I don't need anything! I'm fine!" She snarls, arranging her scarf. She stands up and I do the same.

"Gwen, you-..." But she cut me again.

"Are you going to leave me alone or not?! I'm fine!" She snaps again and finally runs toward the house.

I watch her go, not knowing how to react. I decide to go behind her when I walk on something on the floor. I kneel to grab it and, at my great surprise, it's a necklace with some sort of brown/yellow stone. Probably Damon's.

_How interesting._

* * *

I park my car with the other one, at the high school's car wash. Paying for wash was the only way for me to not be the one who washes. I smile at Dana and Gwen when they approach my car. "Hey, Claire, we got your car. Your sister is at the cash register, over there."

"Thanks, Dana." I give her my keys and take the mentioned direction.

"Hey, sister of mine, I'm here to give you all my money." I joke when I sat in the chair by her side.

"Claire! You came, good. By the way, you're _sure_ you don't want to help?" She blinks at me with her puppy eyes.

"No way in hell," I told her with a shake of my head.

I stayed with her for a while, waiting for my car and helping her here and there.

"Hey, we're out of towels and those shimmy things," Elena said, some times later.

"I'll go get some more," Caroline replies, standing up. "Mind the money."

"I leave you to it, Elena, I have to get my car back." I wave at her with an apologizing smile.

I found Dana quickly, but she's alone. "Dana? Gwen is not with you?"

"Ah, Claire, here are your keys!" She give me my keys back. "And Gwen left halfway through it, she said something about her boyfriend calling her. I call bullshit on it, the girl didn't even have her phone."

I turn white at her word. "Her boyfriend?"

"Yeah, it's what she said. I thought Stefan's brother was out of town, though." She shrugs and got back to the car she was washing.

I got in my car quickly and drive to the school parking, finding Caroline who was getting out of the building. "Care!"

"They locked the supplies room, how stupid they are? How can I-..."

"Care, Gwen disappeared. She said something about her boyfriend calling her… Without her phone."

"What? But I thought Stefan took care of his brother?!"

"Me too…" I looked around, worried. "We need to find her before…" I trail off, not wanting to finish this sentence.

"Yeah, get in the car, they could do without towels anyway."

* * *

We didn't found her and, the next day, she walked through school like nothing happened. But I knew something was up, because they found bodies this morning.

'_A drug deal turned sour' _they said, but how _that_ could explain three bodies found _burned _in a cemetery? I was certain that Damon was implicated in that.

Then Vicki went missing. Matt thought she was on a bad trip, after witnessing the death of her drugs' buddy in the woods. I'm not so sure about that.

I'm sure that, somehow, Damon is implicated in that, too.

* * *

When I saw Vicki walking in the Halloween party besides Matt, disguised as a vampire, I knew what was happening.

"Sorry, I'm going to see if I can find Dana," l said to my sister and Bonnie. They just waved at me and I took the direction of the school building, where I saw Vicki enter.

I asked around me, but nobody had seen her and I can't find her.

After a while, I finally found her, alone in one of the corridors. "Vicki!"

She turns around and looks at me curiously. We used to hang out together when we were kids; when our brother/sister played together. Our paths separated when she entered high school and we didn't talk much since that.

"I know you're a vampire, Vicki."

She looked down at her disguise with a smirk, "that's pretty obvious, Claire."

"Don't play dumb, it's Damon, isn't it? He is the one who turned you." Her eyes widened and I took that as a confirmation. "I'm not here to tell you what to do, Vicki. The Salvatore probably tried anyway, right? It's just… We used to be friends, so I wanted to propose something…"

She looked at me suspiciously. "What?"

"I know someone, he is like you, he can help you. Teach you how to feed on a human without killing them, how to control your hunger. Maybe he can even search a daylight ring for you. But you will have to leave Mystic Falls, he is in England and you will have to go there…"

She frowned and I knew what she was thinking. "I know you don't want to leave Matt or Jeremy behind but… Whatever you said, you know you have to learn control. I just wanted you to know that you have a choice, you're not forced to learn from the Salvatore's."

* * *

"Hey, Jeremy," she says that with warmth, and I can see he's important to her. "I'm sorry, I had to leave the party before seeing you."

I look at her in my rearview while driving. She was sitting on my backseat, on the phone with Jeremy, saying her goodbyes.

"It's not really _bad_, it's just that… I'm sorry Jeremy, I have to go. I can't continue like that, I have to control my life again. And I can't do that if I stay in Mystic Falls." She stays silent for a second, and I can hear the pleading tone of Jeremy but can't distingue what he says. "You can't come with me, I'm sorry Jeremy."

She cut the call and looked sadly at her phone. "I'm sorry, Vicki."

She smiles at me with sadness in her eyes. "Thank you for letting me say goodbye to Matt in person, that meant a lot."

"How'd that go? He didn't try to stop you?" I ask curiously, looking at her in the rearview. There is still an hour before we get to Richmond, we have time.

"He did, at first," she grabs one of the few blood bags I have stolen (again) at the hospital half an hour ago. "But he understands when I told him I needed to take care of my addiction problem. I didn't tell him I'm a blood addict, though," she stayed silent for a while, thinking. "And what about the guy you send me to? You told him about me?"

I nod, "I called him when you were with Matt." I had to convince him to not come back, because what Damon did to her only served to convince him that I need protection. Thankfully, he understood that Vicki needed to be as far from Mystic Falls as possible.

"Tell me more about him, why did he accept to teach me so easily?"

"Enzo… He has a past with Damon, you know, so when I told him he was the one to change you… He was pretty much convinced… Sorry, but it's his story to tell," I add when I see her curious expression. "But he was mostly happy to help me… He said he will look for a ring, but he is not sure he would found one.."

"Thank you… I know it's because of me if we are not friends anymore so… Thanks for helping me, Claire." She looked through the window, sipping in her blood bag.

"You're welcome," I whisper back, knowing she would hear me.

"So… How we do that? I take a plane to London?"

"I'm not sure it's safe to leave you alone in a plane with hundreds of people, Vick." I look at her with an eyebrow raised and she chuckles. "No, you'll stay at the airport's motel for a day or two, until Enzo gets there. _Then, _he'll take you to London with him. I'm sorry I can't stay with you until he comes…"

"It's okay, don't worry, you already did enough." She put a hand on my shoulder with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Claire."

* * *

I close the door of my house behind me three hours later, exhausted.

I make my way to my bedroom when a throat clearing made me jump. I turn around to face my mother, standing in the doorway of her room. "Mom! You scared me!"

"Can I know where you were, young lady? It's almost three in the morning!" She said with a frown.

I just looked at her, astonished. "Because now you care?"

She looks hurt for a second but got back to being angry quickly. "Don't try to change the subject, where were you?"

"I'm not trying to change the subject, I'm just stating a truth. You care about us one time every other week, when you remember you have daughters." I know I'm cruel with her, but it seems like that touched me more than I wanted to admit. "But if you want to know, before going back to your blissful ignorance of motherhood, Vicki asked me to drive her to the airport."

"What? You took her? You can't Claire, you knew I have to interrogate her about what happened in the cemetery!"

"I did it. What are you gonna do? Arrest me? Great idea! You can even throw me in a cell beside your office, we will spend more time together, like that."

I turn around, not wanting to say more things I would regret. I sort of hoped she would storm after me in my room, try to continue our conversation.

She didn't.

* * *

**_A/N: Hey, first, thank for the reviews, I love hearing from you! So, we passed numbers of episodes here... For the curious, if I didn't mention anything, now or in the future, you can assume that it went the same as in canon. _**

**_Thanks to my beta, WinchesterGurl1967 for her wonderful work!_**

**_I hope you're alright in those times, guys. Know that if you feel the need to talk to someone, my pm are open. Or you can also_****_ send me a message on Tumblr: miss-dragonish dot Tumblr dot com_**

**_Stay safe!_**

**_XxxX Miss Dragonish_**


	7. Chapter 7: I'm sorry, Claire

**Chapter 7: I'm sorry, Claire.**

.

.

I found Jeremy at his locker, two days later, and he seemed… _fine. _"Jeremy?" He turned his head toward me with a smile. "You ok? I talked with Vicki yesterday…"

"Yeah, thanks Claire. I'm fine, I'll miss her, but I think it's for the best." He smiled softly at me and I can only blink at him.

"Didn't you… want to go with her?"

His smile dropped for half a second, but was back quickly. That was eerie, was he really the same kid, the one I heard pleading with Vicki last night?

"I've thought about that but I can't just leave my family behind for a girl. Everything will be fine. I think it's for the best."

"Okay…" I look at him for a second before shaking my head and turning around. I walk toward my English class when his words fully registered.

Oh, no… She _didn't. _

"Jeremy," I call after him when I see him at the end of the corridor. "Sorry if I seem persistent but," I jog toward him. "Be honest, what do you think about Vicki's departure?"

He has this disturbing soft smile again, "I think it's for the best."

I smile at him, a little sadly, "yeah, you're probably right…"

He resumed his walk and I take the direction of my English class again. She did it.

* * *

My last class was History and since my teacher was… Well, dead, I just went home.

When I'm finally alone in my room, I took out my phone and called Vicki.

"Hey, what's up? Enjoying yourself?" I ask with a fake cheerfulness.

"Ha. Ha. That's hilarious, Claire. Enzo is still not here, and I'm stuck in my room because of the sun." She sighs and I heard the sound of a fridge door. "Thankfully, I still have blood."

"Enzo should be there by tonight, Vick, I'm sorry that took so long…" Enzo wanted to find a daylight ring _before _coming, and he has to do a little bit of persuasion to some of his _friends_ witches.

"Hey, at least I will have a ring, right?" I can sense the shift in her mood when she talked next. "So… Have you seen Matt and Jeremy?"

And there was the one subject I hoped to avoid but knew it was inevitable. "Yeah… Matt was fine, sad but he seemed to understand why you did it. Even if he said he missed you already." I really think being separated will do good to both of them, but that not the kind of thing she needed to hear now.

"And… Jeremy?" I hear her nervous tone and my heart clench because I can't really hide that to her.

"He thinks it's for the best but-..."

"I suspected it, you know…" She cuts me before I can finish. "I'm not really girlfriend material, even more for someone like Jeremy."

"No, Vicki, you don't understand. He said, and I quote, '_I think it's for the best_' three times in our conversation. We talked for five minutes, top."

She stayed silent while the information made its way. "You think…"

"I think Elena asked someone to compel him. Stefan or Damon, I don't know, but she probably thought he would be happier like that or something, but…"

"She took his feelings away… I knew she didn't approve of me, but I didn't think it was that much." She laughed darkly. "Do you know of a way to get rid of the compulsion? It's not that I want him to _suffer,_ it's just…"

"I'm sorry, Vicki, I don't think it can be done…That seemed too strong."

"It's okay… Thanks for the news, Claire."

"You're welcome… Bye, Vicki." She answered with a vague sound and cut the call. I don't even have the time to put down my phone before it rings again.

"Caroline," I answer when I see her name on the phone.

"Gwen is throwing a party at the Grill! How can she? _I _should be the one throwing a party at the Grill!"

I can't stop my laugh, "it's just a party, Caroline. It's not a big deal."

"We have to go, see what it looks like."

"Honestly, I'm not in the mood, Care, sorry. I will just take a bath and watch a movie tonight."

"You're no fun, Claire," she sighs.

I chuckle, before adding. "And my phone is out for the night, if you get drunk, ask Bonnie to take you home." I cut the phone before she could reply.

I'm so _tired_.

* * *

I'm in the woods. How did I end up in the woods? There is fog everywhere around me. It's dark. I don't know why I'm here.

Something moves behind the tree. A shadow. "Someone is here?" My voice is shaking.

"You have to destroy it." A woman answers me with a soft voice, walking out of the wood to face me. "You know he cannot have it."

"Who are you? How it's possible that I'm here?" I'm seriously freaked out right now.

"My name is Emily Bennett." I laughed nervously, she's who, now? "We're in your head, it was easy to enter; your soul is marked by death."

"My… What?" I don't even know what should freak me out the most. "What do you want from me?!"

"My necklace. You need to destroy it, Damon can't have it." And she disappeared.

"Wait!"

I woke up in my bed, breathing heavily. After a while, I take the direction of the bathroom and turn on the sink, to wash my face.

And I almost scream when I see _what_ is around my neck. I take the necklace off quickly and hide it between the towels.

_Emily, you're really scaring me. _

I turn off the water and make my way to the kitchen to search for something to eat. I stop by Caroline's room to check if she is back on my way.

When I open the door, I'm welcomed with the sight of my sister slipping in no other than _Matt Donovan_'s arm. Okay…

_That, _that's none of my business.

* * *

I had another nightmare, after getting back to sleep. And I saw Emily all day long at school. I keep finding the necklace everywhere; in my locker, in my bag, in my lunch box. It was driving me crazy so, after school, I took the direction of Sheila Bennett's house.

I knock strongly at the door and she's quick to answer. "Claire, child, what makes you call with so much enthusiasm?"

"I need your help," I state, blandly, and show her the necklace in my hand.

She looks between it and me with shock, move her hand toward it but stop before touching it. "Where did you find it?"

"Can we talk inside?" I ask, looking around me, and shoving back the stupid thing in my pocket.

She moves her body to let me in, but didn't voice her invitation aloud. _Subtle. _

Of course, I got in without a problem, and sat on the couch, in the living room. When she closes the door and rejoin me, I took out the necklace out and pass it to Bonnie's Grams. "Take it back, I don't want it."

She takes it almost reverently, "where did you find it, Claire?"

"I took it from Damon Salvatore, at the founder's party. You know why he wants it?"

"The tomb," she replies without blinking.

"Yeah, his deal with Emily. But now, your ancestor didn't want him to have it. She asked me to destroy it, she talked to me because…"

"Your soul is marked by death," she cuts me.

"You know about that. Of course you know about that. What does that mean exactly?" I don't hide the fear in my tone, I don't _want _to be marked by death.

"Don't be so scared, child, reincarnated soul are always marked by death." She took my hand with a soft smile.

I chuckle, "tell me, which one of my secrets did you don't know about?"

"I'm sure there are plenty of them," she stood and grabbed some candles, placing them in a circle on the table.

"What are you doing?"

She looks at me from the corner of her eyes, "I'm gonna destroy it." She said it like she was stating an evidence. "If Emily wants it destroyed, she has her reasons."

"You can't do that!" I'm the first surprised by my panic. "Sorry, it's just… I can't tell you how, I just know it but… If you do that, destroy the necklace, you will die."

She stopped her movement to look at me. "What do you mean by that, Claire."

"You will end up helping Damon anyway, and that would kill you. You need the necklace to do the spell."

"Don't worry about that, I'll never help him. I stay away from Vampires business." She smiles at me and resumes her doing.

"Mrs. Bennett…"

"Everything will be okay," she tells me, and the flame suddenly lit up on the table. She put the necklace in the center of it.

"Don't do it, please…" I said desperately. I shouldn't have come, she was going to die if she…

"_Incendia,_" she whispers, and the stone of the necklace exploded.

Two weeks later, my phone rang in the middle of the night. It was Sheila. "I'm sorry, Claire. I should have listened," was the only thing she said before cutting the call.

The next day, all town knew everything about the death of Sheila Bennett.

* * *

Caroline entered the house upset, crashing on the couch beside me. "Hey, sister of mine. What's up?"

"I broke up with Matt."

"You… What?" Caroline and Matt were together for, like, a month, top. What in hell happened for them to break up that quickly? "You know what? We didn't have a sister night in age, we should do that right now, okay? You, me, my bed and ice cream."

She laughs, "Claire, it's two in the morning…"

"And we don't have school tomorrow, mom is at work, and we have a lot of things we need to share. I know I have."

"Okay, but you go first!" She said, following me in the kitchen.

"I don't think it's a good idea. Better began with normal teenager problems." She looks at me with her eyebrow high while we go to my room.

"Of course, because your news are _supernatural _related."

"Yeah," I crash in my bed and look at her with a guilty look. "I kept a lot of things from you this past month… Sorry?"

"And why did you did that, Claire?" Her tone was accusing and I wince.

"Because you and Matt… You were in a little cloud, and I didn't want to bother you with all that and ruin your budding relationship. There is nothing we could really do. I don't want Elena and the Salvatore's knowing that we know about them. Not yet."

"I didn't need you to ruin my relationship with him, we did that by ourselves." She pouts and digs violently in her ice cream.

"What happened exactly? I thought you were on a double date?"

"Yeah, and it felt like Matt and Elena's date."

"Ouch, that hurt."

"Don't tell me. But it isn't meant to be, right? You didn't see us dating in that show, did you? That surely means that we shouldn't be together."

"Caroline, if you want to date Matt, it's sure as hell not going to be the memories half accurate of a TV show that will stop you. Now… If you can't date him because he's still in love with Elena..."

"You saw that too!" She turned towards me with hurt in her eyes. "He said she was '_just a friend_' and that she will always be '_important'_ to him. But the truth is that he still loves her…"

"And…"

She looks at me with tears in her eyes. "And I'm not going to pass after Elena. Not anymore."

I take her in my arms and we stay like that for a while, laying in my bed. "Okay, say it, what the big bad news."

"Huh… Remember when Vicki left?"

"Yeah, that was like, a week or so before I started dating Matt. What about that?"

"She didn't leave because of the drugs… She left because Damon turned her."

"What?!" She half-stand, looking at me with shock. "How that… How can… Why didn't you tell me?!"

"And for what? You would have told Matt? Keep it secret? You were just at the beginning of a relationship, I didn't want you to have secrets that big so soon."

She sighs and got back in my arms, "fair enough… What else have you in your bag?"

"I've been temporarily hunted by Bonnie's ancestor, until I gave the necklace to Sheila, who destroyed it."

"O-Kay…" She nods, looking up at me.

"Remember when I told you about those vampires in the tomb? Seems like they are out, now."

"They are…" she sits and looks at me with a frown. "That, that's important, Claire! You can't hide that because you didn't want…"

"Calm down, Care, I wasn't going to hide it." I sat to face her. "That's happened recently. Truth is that… It's happened with Sheila Bennett death…"

"Bonnie's grams?! What did… She's a witch, she opened it…" She suddenly remembers.

"And that was too much for her, she died because of that. I think… I think Bonnie is the one who convinced her to."

"Oh my God, poor Bonnie! I can't imagine what she's going through…" She put her hand on her mouth.

"Yeah, I know… And that's not even the worse part."

She closes her eyes and let herself fall on her back. "I'm not even sure I want to hear it."

"I'm not sure I want to say it neither…" I close my arms in front of me, like a shield. "It's almost time for the founder's day, and the Salvatore's are in town… With the tomb open, that could only mean..."

"That it's almost time for my death…" She whispers, realizing what I was trying to say.

"I'm not letting you die if it's not what you want, Caroline. I promise," I said, squeezing her hand.

"I'm not _against _the idea of being a vampire, but… I don't think I'm all for being stuck at 17 for the rest of eternity." She turned toward me with a smile, her eyes surprisingly full of mischief. "The least that I can do is 21, imagine not being old enough to drink for all eternity!"

She laughs and I join her, breaking the tension.

After a while, she turns toward me with serious eyes. "What are we gonna do, Claire?"

I sigh before looking into her eyes. "We are gonna go to Dad's house for his boyfriend's daughter's birthday. And we will see what we're doing next when we get back. It's not like Mystic Falls is gonna end without us for two weeks, right?"

* * *

Well, at least everything was still standing.

Being at our dad's was nice, we were out of Mystic Falls dramas for a while, but we had to come back. Just in time for Miss Mystic Falls.

"I don't even know why I'm here, I don't even participate," I whine at Caroline, we were in her changing room for the contest, at the Lockwood's house.

"You're my moral support. When I think I have to dance with a boring replacement… Just because I was stupid enough to break up with my boyfriend two weeks before the contest."

"Why? You would have wait if you had remembered the contest?" I punch her in the arm playfully.

"Well…" She puts her finger on her chin like she was seriously wondering it, "no, don't worth it!"

"But seriously, didn't you said Matt was going to come anyway?" I'm almost sure she had mentioned something like that. Funny enough, Matt and Caroline stayed close after their break up, so much that I was the only one who _knew_ that they had broke up.

"Ye, he was, but he had work and I can't really make him miss it if we are not a couple anymore… But anyway, you have to go downstairs or you will miss my introduction!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" I said before leaving.

"Hey Jenna! Mr. Saltzman," I said with a smile. They were standing together in front of the doors.

"Please, Claire, call me Ric," he smiles at me politely.

"Huh, okay, _Ric_," I reply with a smile of my own.

"So, Claire, Caroline dragged you there?"

"You said it, not me."

We were cut by the introduction of the girls, and the couples crossed the doors one by one.

I couldn't help the smile that twisted my lips when I saw Elena at Damon's arm. Honestly? I was afraid I changed that. Ann was a _big_ Delena shipper, even when she disliked the girl, and I had seen this scene with her a hundred times already, and I was waiting impatiently to see it for real.

'_The _Delena scene', she had said.

"What is she doing with Damon?" Jenna asks beside me.

Alaric leans toward her, "I have no idea."

"Me neither," I add, jokingly, "but, _man_, I wish I had popcorn!"

"Claire!" Jenna whispers accusingly, but I know she thinks like me. "You love too much the dramas, young lady."

"You think like me Jenna, you know it… By the way, we totally need to drink tea together, we haven't done that in _ages_, we have so much to catch up on."

"Oh yes, it's been too long! Let's say the coming Saturday morning, at the Grill?" She asks me with a smile.

"That's a date," I answer as the dance finishes, following the crowd inside and letting Jenna with my History teacher; Ric, the vampire hunter.

* * *

Saturday came quickly, and I found Jenna waiting for me beside her car, in front of the Grill. I hugged her quickly and she sighs, "you're late."

"You know I hate waiting, I much prefer when people wait for me," I reply, half-joking. That's partly true, in fact. She hit my arm with a smile and we entered the building.

"I didn't want to see you just for a tea…" I began when we were both sitting in a booth. "You know that, Jenna…"

"It's never just for a tea, Claire." She smiled and I knew she isn't mad. That was a part of our meeting, we shared a tea when she broke up with Logan the first time or when my parents divorced. "What is on your heart?"

Matt was at our table before I could begin, "hey Jenna, Claire, what can I get you?"

"Earl Grey and milk, please." I look at Jenna but she just takes the same. "You really need more tea on the menu, you know?" He just smiled indulgently, that wasn't the first time I said that, and probably not the last either.

"I will be back," he took the way of the kitchen.

"Jenna… Have you noticed, lately, how Elena was more…" I trail off, I don't know how to describe it.

"Secretive, nervous, lying… Yeah, I have. Why do you ask? Did it have something to do with what you want to say?"

"Well… Yes, it has everything to do with that…"

She looked at me with interest, "I'm all ears."

"You will think I'm crazy but… Remember those story Miranda would tell you about, when you were kid,"

"How do you know about that?"

"My dad used to tell me about them, too. It's a founding family thing. I guess Miranda took them from Grayson…" I shut up when I see Matt coming our way.

"Here are your cups, ladies," he smiled a last time before going to his next clients.

"What about those stories? That just horror tales about vampires, Grayson's ancestors were fantasy writers."

"Yeah… The thing is, it's not just _tales_." I said quietly, looking around if either of the Salvatore were there. Not seeing them, I continue under the incredulous look of Jenna. "Vampires are real, Jenna, and Elena knows about it."

I look at her but she doesn't move. "She chooses to hide it from you because she thinks she is protecting you, but I think that it's not really protection."

She blinks at me, "it's a joke? Claire, it's not funny." She made a move to stand but I grab her hand.

"I swear it's not, Jenna. I have to tell you, you're important to me and I want you to be able to protect yourself. It's like… Being in a room without windows, in the middle of a storm. You don't know there is a storm, but if it moves a little to close, you're dead. Vampires are around you, if you don't know that, you can't protect yourself," I plead, the faded memory of her death turning in my head.

"You can prove it? It's not that I don't trust you, Claire, I do. But this is something relatively… _Unbelievable._"

"Right now, no I can't," I'm not going to bring up Mikael's video, that something that won't get out until the Originals get in town. "But you can come with me to my house, and I can Skype a friend of mine who… _is_ a vampire."

"You're friends with a…" she stutters, blinking quickly before she sighs. "Why am I not surprised?"

I chuckle, "did you want to go now, or hear the rest of the story first?"

"Because there is more? Okay, you know what," she takes a sip of her tea and add a cube of sugar. "What about we finish our tea while you tell me more, and I act like I actually believe you? After that, we will call your… vampire friend." She shakes her head, probably not believing she actually said that.

So, I told her about Elena and her doppelgänger, about the Salvatore being bloodsucker, about the secret counsel, and about Alaric and his wife death-but-not-really.

* * *

_**A/N: Hey! Here is the next chapter! It was almost just sort of explanation but, I swear, it began to move by the end of next chapter! Hope you loved it anyway! Thanks for your reviews, I love hearing from you! Don't hesitate to tell me what you think!**_

_**Stay Safe!**_

_**XxxX Miss Dragonish**_


	8. Chapter 8: I think she jinxed us

**Chapter 8: I think she jinxed us.**

.

.

I pull my car beside the entrance of the hospital, where Caroline and Matt were standing, waiting for me. They quickly got in and Caroline looked slightly upset. Choosing to ignore the tension, I took the way of Matt's house.

Finally, Caroline snapped out of it and turned back on her seat, towards Matt. "I can't believe you made me call Claire! Tyler could have taken us!"

Matt's eyes didn't move from his new plaster cast, "I don't want anything to do with him, Caroline."

She huffs and sits straight again. The rest of the trip was silent, and soon I left the boy in front of his house.

"I can't with him I swear. Between that and Bonnie and Elena, I don't know what to do."

"I can't really help you there…" I wince sympathetically, driving toward the Grill for dinner.

"I'm sure Bonnie is upset with Elena because of the Tomb, but it's not like I could tell her I know…"

I look sideways at her face, her sadness was killing me, and I knew that it was because of me, because I wanted to keep the secret.

We entered the Grill ten minute laters, Caroline's face light up when she saw Bonnie, but a frown barred her face at her expression. "What happened, now?" She muttered, grabbing my arm and walking toward Bonnie's table. "Hey Bonnie, are you okay? Something happened?"

We sat but the other girl stayed quiet. "Bonnie, you can tell us what happened, we won't judge you."

She looked up with guilt in her eyes. "I did something wrong, and I lied about it."

"What?" I asked.

"To who?" Caroline said at the same time.

"To Elena. I pretended to do something I didn't really do."

Oh. I have a really clear idea about what this is all about. Everything turned quickly in my head, and I took a quick decision. "It's about Jonathan Gilbert's device, isn't it?"

Caroline looked at me surprised, but somewhat hopeful, while Bonnie looked shocked, her mouth opening a few times without anything getting out. "How do you know about the device?!"

"We know a lot of things, Bonnie. Elena asked you to remove the spell but… You didn't."

"That was not right! Grams would have never…" she cried instantly, forgetting her other questions.

"True, Sheila always stayed out of Vampires business," I told her with a smile, taking her hand. "It wasn't _good_ to lie to them, Bonnie, but I understand why you did it."

She looks at me before looking at Caroline. "How long did you know for… That?"

"A while," Caroline mutters. "I was waiting for you to tell me," she whispers, her voice broke on the word 'you'.

"I… I'm sorry, Caroline, I didn't want to drag you into this mess…"

"It's okay, I get it," she smiled at Bonnie, but I knew she wasn't _okay_. I squeezed her hand, slightly under the table.

"Umm, Bonnie?" The girl turns toward me, curious. "I would really appreciate it if you don't say to Elena and the Brothers that we know…"

She frowns, "why?"

"I don't really want to answer Damon interrogations, not yet." And all the dramas they seem to attract.

"I won't say anything, but if they ask me I won't lie." She frowns, looking into my eyes

Well, that was pretty hypocritical, but okay. I just smile, "thanks, Bon."

* * *

We're at the Grill, and I hate that. I wanted to be home, hiding Caroline deep into the closet of my room and not letting her out until tomorrow.

But Caroline was worried for Matt about his fight with Tyler. I can still hear her, '_Breaking up with him doesn't mean I didn't care about him anymore, Claire.'_

I would have preferred, if you ask me.

But, yeah. Here I am, listening to the pathetic attempts of my sister to try to convince him to talk to Tyler.

"Oh, God, Matt please, talk to him already. He makes out with your mom, he didn't kill her." I finally snap, I just want to go home.

"Claire," she hisses at me, stabbing me in the guts with her elbow.

"Ouch, not fair. I just said what we all thought," I mutter under my breath.

Before anyone could talk, the mayor entered the Grill, and rush to his son. I stand quickly, I know how the guy treats his son. They whispered at each other and, surprisingly enough, he seemed worried.

The mayor suddenly grabbed Tyler's arm. "Let go of me!"

I put quickly myself beside him, "can I help you with something, Mayor Lockwood?"

He ignores me, _dick_. "Please Tyler; I need you to go home, now. Take your friends with you."

"Why? What's going on?" Matt asked, worried.

The Mayor looks between us, "I can't explain. All of you need to get home, now." He looks at his son, pleading. "Please."

"You know what, what about we all go at our house," I began with a smile. "I have my car and like that Caroline could continue with her awful plan, right?"

The Mayor looks at me, relieved when his son agreed.

We were all taking the way of the door when I saw her. "Care," she turned toward me curiously. "Take the key to start the car, I will be here in a second."

She frowned but agreed, knowing she can't really ask anything in front of the boys.

I was quickly by her side and grabbed her arm, she turned toward me with surprise. "Hey, Anna."

Her surprise turned into suspicion, "I don't know you."

"But I do. And I know that the device still works, they will grab you as soon as they can." I whisper, looking sideways at the deputies standing by the door.

"How… Why are you telling me?" She stutters.

"I can help you. They know me, I'm the daughter of their boss. They won't suspect you if you get out of here with me. I could hide you until it's all finished."

"Why?" She frowned, suspicion clear in her voice.

I smiled, "I think I have something for saving sad vampires," _in love with Jeremy_. Well, I'm not going to say that aloud. "But we have to go now."

She nodded and we took our way out. "Get in the back, Anna. Oh, my name is Claire, by the way." I sat behind the wheel, "sorry guys, but I had to get Anna, she is coming with us."

I pull the car out while they introduce each other, Caroline looks at me curiously but went with it.

We're almost at my house when Anna suddenly screams, her hands around her head. Matt, who is sitting in the middle, grab her shoulders. "Anna?! What is happening?!"

Tyler looks around him with panic, "what is that noise? Aargh! That hurts!" He grabs his head with both hands, blood coming out of his ears.

"Claire! You need to stop the car! Or take us to the hospital!" Matt was panicked, too.

"I can't do that," I stutter, looking at the deputies who were running around. "We're almost at my home, okay? I'm sure they'll be okay!"

"What?! Claire!" Matt began to protest.

"It's okay, Matt," Caroline said, turning toward him.

"No! It's not! She's crying like she's possessed and Tyler lost consciousness!" He screamed over Anna.

"I'll explain everything, Matt, okay?" I plead, trying to concentrate on the road.

"What there is to explain, Claire?! They need help!"

"Matt, please," Caroline whispers when I finally parked in front of my house.

Anna screams stopped and we all turned toward her. Well, except Tyler who was still unconscious.

Her vampire face briefly showed and Matt screams, and tries to back away from her but hits Tyler. "Thank you, Claire. I owe you."

"What are you gonna do?" I ask her, choosing to ignore the dumbfounded expression on Matt's face.

"I need to get out of town before John Gilbert finds me. He wants to kill me." She said, with a sad expression. Looks like Jeremy has a gift with girls…

She looked at Matt with a frown and then grabbed his face, looking into his eyes. "Nothing wrong or weird happened in this car, Claire stopped by my house and I got out there." She said before I could stop her.

Matt repeats what she said, and she disappeared.

I share a look with Care while Matt shook his head. Well, as much as I hate compulsion, that makes one less explanation.

Mayor Lockwood is dead. I feel like I should have known, but I didn't really care much. As cruel as it could sound, I can't let myself feel guilty for each death I can't stop.

Right now, the only thing that counts for me is that I succeeded in saving Caroline from her car accident. Hopefully, that would be enough to save her from being stuck at 17.

* * *

We were in Mom's car, going to the Lockwood's for the Mayor's funeral. Caroline took my hand and squeeze it. I smile at her, trying to be convincing. Worrying my little sister is the last thing I want to do.

Mom didn't talk with us, she looks preoccupied. She does since yesterday, when she gets home, with Carol Lockwood in tow. They were looking for Tyler, who was at our house.

After Anna had left, we discovered that her compulsion on Matt also comprises Tyler outbursts. He seemed to think that Tyler was only asleep, and tried to wake him up. When he succeeded, Tyler didn't mention anything about noises again, and Care and I decided to humor him and did as nothing happened.

We spent the time watching movies in the living room. That's how Carol and Mom found us and announced us of the mayor's death.

Caroline told me about her idea of what happened when we were alone again, and I feel really stupid for not thinking of that sooner. Logically, if Tyler was affected by the device because of the werewolf gene, his father would probably be too. That answers from what side of the family he got it, at least.

Tyler was standing by the door of his house when we got there. Mom took him her arm, told him again how much she was sorry, and entered the house to find his mom.

I stopped in front of him, looking at him in his eyes. "Your dad was a dick, there is no denying that," I state plainly, Caroline facepalms with exasperation beside me. "But he was your father; I don't know what it feels like to lose a parent, but I do know you, Ty. You will get back from that in no time."

I can't swear it, but I'm sure something akin of gratitude passed by his gaze. "Everything she said, apart for the dick comment," Caroline says with a smile.

"Thanks, Claire, Caroline." He nods at us. Our attention suddenly turned toward the car that was parking in front of the house, letting out none other than Mason Lockwood. "If it's not the black sheep of the family," Tyler comments with sarcasm. I can't hold back a smile, _sheep_ is the last term I would use to describe Mason Lockwood.

Mason looked at us with surprise. "No way… Tyler?" He took his nephew in his arms. "And if it's not the Forbes' princess themselves, what did you drink in this town? You're not, like, twelve?"

"First, no one calls us that anymore, Mason," I told him with a pout. "Second, we were twelve years old like, five years ago."

"But you still have your wit, Clairedzilla," he chuckled and ruffles my hair, knowing how much I hate that and his stupid nickname. He turn his attention toward his nephew, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's good to see you again, Tyler."

"Good to see you too, uncle Mason. Mom is inside." Mason smiled at us and entered the house to find his sister-in-law. I can't count how many times Mason crashed Jenna babysit session before he fled for a surfer's life.

We smiled one last time to Tyler before entering the house. When we were out of Tyler's earshot, I leaned toward care and whisper in her ear. "I'm like 90% sure he activated it." I backed away, my eyes flying toward Mason quickly.

"Don't you say… I was beginning to think that we don't have enough problems." I laugh at her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Now, if you could excuse me," she said before ditching me and walking toward Matt. Honestly, sometimes I doubted of their rupture, but I know how much Caroline cares about this friendship.

I walked around for a while, answering to people who talked to me, probably only because of my mom, searching for Jenna and stealing one or two glasses of whiskey. Or more, I don't really count.

I finally find Elena talking with Stefan. "Hey, princes Gilbert," I call her, jokingly and don't hold back my laugh at her lost expression. "Sorry, Mason reminds me of those awful nicknames of his. Stefan, we never had the chance to talk much."

"Uh, yeah, Claire, sorry about that," he said between his teeth, looking nervously between me and Elena.

"Don't be so nervous, Angelius, I won't eat your girlfriend," I'm trying to make him relax but it didn't seem to have the wanted effect. Surprisingly, Elena chuckles at my Buffy's joke. "Anyway, I'm not there for that, Jenna came with you? I have to keep her as far away from Mason before he reminds her of Clairedzilla. I swear, he will never get over that tiny, little bite. I mean, I was six years old, for fuck's sake." I ramble and, okay, I think I'm drunk.

"Sorry, I came alone. But I think she will be here soon," she smiles, apologetic.

"Oh, okay… I thought she told me she was coming with you. Anyway, I'm going to look out for her, thanks, Elena. Stefan, I think it was our longest conversation… Well, sort of." I nodded at them one last time and took the way of the front door.

When I got there, I found Jenna entering the house with Jeremy. "Hey, Jenna!" I hug her, avoiding the food in her hands. "You need to stay far, _far_ away from Mason, Jenna!" I whisper in her ear but, judging by Jeremy's mocking expression, that wasn't really a whisper.

"Claire, don't tell me you're drunk… Oh god, your mom is here, Claire!" She shoved me into Jeremy's arms. "Keep her there while I go see Carol, I'll be back in a second."

She looked at me as much exasperated than amused and goes to see the mayor's widow.

Jeremy looked down at me, amused and I frown. "How is that you're so tall… It's that why Vicky and Anna loved you?"

Surprise crossed his eyes. "How do you know about Anna?"

I thrust my finger into his chest. "That's because I look out for you, Little Gilbert. I saved both your girlfriends from death, you know? But _shuuut_, that's a secret," I whisper, my index now on my mouth, he needs to understand how the secret is _important_.

"What do you mean? Anna is alive? Damon thinks she was in the fire." Jeremy told me, grabbing my shoulders.

"_Shut! _It's a _secret_, Jeremy, do you know _what _is a secret," I pout, he doesn't understand anything. "They can't know that I know, because if they know that I know they would want to know what I know and I know… They know… No, _I_ know... Pffff, I don't know anymore."

"Okay, we'll need to have this conversation another time, because you're definitely drunk…" He said, looking around him.

"No, I'm not. I wouldn't, I would have you know that I'm responsible, Little Gilbert," I said arrogantly.

"No, you're clearly not responsible, Claire," Jenna said from behind me. Jeremy left me with his aunt, looking at me with a frown before walking toward the next room.

"That's not cool, Jenna. It's your fault anyway, if you'd come with Elena, I wouldn't have to wait for you."

She frowned, looking at me curiously. "What do you mean? I came with Elena, she's outside with Damon. I don't really approve, not after the kiss they shared yesterday but…"

"Wait," I cut her, the distress I was feeling sobering me up. "You came here _with_ Elena…" Suddenly, the nervous behavior of Stefan, that I was too drunk to really understand, made sense. "Jenna, I think we have a little problem."

Jenna frowned, worry entering her eyes. I grabbed her hand and took her where I saw them last. They weren't in the room anymore, but I could see them through the French windows. I turned toward Jenna, and motion the couple with my head.

"Look at Elena, did she changed clothes since you came here?"

Jenna looks toward them surprised, probably by my stupid question. "Uh?! Yeah, you're right, she changed. When did she found the time? And clothes?"

"She didn't… Remember that doppelganger I told you about? Look like she's in town."

I looked back at the couple, just in time to see her stabbing Stefan with a bare. "Ouch," Jenna winces beside me.

What was Caroline saying about problems? I think she jinxed us.

* * *

The doorbell woke me up less than one hour after we finally slept. I look at Caroline, my eyes half-open, and sighs loudly. "You're not going, are you ?" We spend most of the night talking about the day's event and planning our next moves. We'll probably be forced to reveal our knowledge soon… We both slept in her bed, I was too tired to go to my room.

She mumbles something, I'm not even sure what, and I take that for an answer. Breathing heavily, I made my way to the door, ready to kill whoever that comes at this time of the night.

I'm welcomed with the sight of Elena, sitting on our front stairs and sobbing heavily. "Elena? What are you doing here? You want to see Caroline?"

She looks at me with watering eyes, "oh my God, Claire, I'm so sorry! I didn't want to... It's Stefan… He is…" She trails off, sobbing.

"Oh my, Elena..." Did something happen to Stefan because of the change that I did? I grabbed Elena in a hug, ready to comfort her, but was instantly pushed against the wall, Elena's-

No. That was Katherine's hand around my throat, a smirk on her lips. "Wrong name, sweetheart. Say something to the Salvatore for me, will you ?"

I tried to push her back, scratching her hand and her arm, but she wasn't paying me attention. Choking me with only one hand against the wall, she showed her vampire's face, fangs out, and bit in her wrist. She released my throat to grab my jaws and forced her blood into my mouth.

That took less than a minute, but I felt it like an eternity.

Then, she brought her mouth to my ear, and whispered: "The game is on."

And that was it.

* * *

_**A/N: Hey! Sorry for the delay, I have computer problems right now, and it's not pleasant at all! I'm borrowing my sister's but she needs it for school so that's not really a long-term solution. Anyway, I hope you loved it! Don't hesitate to tell me what you think! Thanks for the Follows/Favs/Review! **_

_**Stay safe!**_

_**XxxX Miss Dragonish**_


End file.
